Online laboratory degrees

Completing an associate degree or certificate is the most common path towards becoming a laboratory technician. Community colleges, junior colleges, hospitals, vocational schools and the military all have training options for laboratory technicians, and classes may be held either online, on-campus or in a combination of learning formats.

Typical laboratory technician training programs give students targeted training in standard lab knowledge, which students should find applicable to a range of health care lab environments. Courses are likely to include instruction in hematology, coagulation, clinical chemistry, microbiology, immunology and diagnostics. Coursework may involve hands-on lab work in a clinical site.

Online education is a growing phenomenon, and working towards an online laboratory technician degree or certificate has specific benefits. Students can browse course materials on their own time, interacting with peers and professors in the online environment.

With the increase of sophisticated technology in the lab, analysis is becoming more important to technicians than the testing technique itself, meaning that online courses can do more to educate students outside the lab setting. Additionally, some online laboratory technician degrees may require a lab-based clinical course, giving students the chance to mix online and in-person study.

A range of health care environments require skilled laboratory technicians. Take a look at the industries with the highest levels of employment for medical and clinical laboratory technicians in 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• General medical and surgical hospitals: 68,940 workers
• Medical and diagnostic laboratories: 26,100 workers
• Offices of physicians: 20,770 workers
• Other ambulatory health care services: 8,260 workers

Laboratory technicians are generally precise, attentive individuals who feel comfortable in the lab environment. They have an interest in the science behind health care and a strong attention to detail. With more education and a bachelor's degree, lab technicians can become lab technologists, increasing their salary and employment potential.

• Medical and clinical laboratory technicians employed in 2010: 156,480
• Mean annual wage in 2010: $38,190
• Popular laboratory technician industries: general medical and surgical hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, offices of physicians, other ambulatory health care services
• States with the highest concentration of laboratory technician jobs: Georgia, Tennessee, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Pennsylvania