How Can I Become a Histologist?
Research what it takes to become a histologist. Learn about education and certification options, job outlook and salary information to find out if this is the career for you.
What Is a Histologist?
A histologist is a medical laboratory technologist who specializes in preparing tissue samples for medical purposes or research studies. They cut samples and treat them with staining chemicals so that they are ready for analysis by pathologists, who can use them for diagnostic purposes or to conduct academic research that advances the medical community's understanding of the causes and development of a particular disease. Additionally, histologists may serve as supervisors for lower-level workers in the lab, such as histotechnicians.
The table below provides an overview for this career:
<table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Education Required</b> </td><td> Certificate, associate's degree or bachelor's degree</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Education Field of Study</b> </td><td> Histotechnology, medical lab technology, chemistry, biology</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Key Responsibilities</b> </td><td> Prepare tissue for study, examine samples, utilize lab instruments</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Licensure/Certification</b> </td><td> Voluntary certification available; license requirements vary by state</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b> </td><td> 11%* (clinical laboratory technologists and technicians)</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Average Salary (2021)</b> </td><td> $69,794**</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **Payscale.com</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWouldIDoAsAHistologist">What Would I Do as a Histologist?</h3><p>The term histologist includes both histotechnicians and histotechnologists. Histologists are laboratory staff members who work with cells and tissues from human beings, animals and plants.
</p><p>As a histologist, you prepare tissues that are then studied under a microscope by pathologists to discover irregularities or diseases. You place tissue samples on glass slides and apply stain to make the cells identifiable with a microscope. You examine the samples under a microscope to check that the tissues were prepared according to lab guidelines. You also use lab instruments to dry, freeze or otherwise prepare tissue samples.
</p><p>According to the National Society for Histotechnology (NSH), histotechnologists perform more specialized tasks than histotechnicians, such as electron microscopy and enzyme histochemistry (<i>www.nsh.org</i>). Histotechnologists may supervise at labs and are qualified to teach or work as school directors, according to the NSH.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatEducationShouldIObtain">What Education Should I Obtain?</h3><p>The American Society for Clinical Pathology's Board of Certification oversees certification tests for both histotechnicians and histotechnologists. You do not need certification for employment as a histologist, but it is highly recommended.
</p><p>To be eligible for certification as a histotechnician, you must complete a histotechnician program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Alternatively, you can earn a minimum of 60 semester hours, with a combined total of 12 hours in chemistry and biology, at an accredited college or university plus have a year of eligible experience in a histopathology lab. Or you can earn an associate's degree, including a combined total of 12 semester hours in chemistry and biology, from an accredited school plus have a year of eligible experience in a histopathology lab.
</p><p>For certification as a histotechnologist, you must earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited school with a combined total of 30 semester hours in chemistry and biology. In addition to the undergraduate degree, you must complete a histology program accredited by the NAACLS or have a year of eligible experience at a histopathology lab. The states have varying license requirements for histologists.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCouldIEarnAsAHistologist">What Could I Earn as a Histologist?</h3><p>As of November 2021, the lowest-paid 10% of histologists earned about $42,000 or less per year, <i>PayScale.com</i> reported. The highest-paid 10% of histologists earned about $87,000 or more per year.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>Not all medical laboratory technologists choose to specialize; you could also work as a generalist, where you would be involved in diagnostic experiments in many different areas, not just histology. You could also specialize in a different subfield. For instance, cytotechnologists focus on the preparation and analysis of cells, while molecular biology technologists are experts in tests on proteins and nucleic acids. Outside of the medical field, you could also look at a job as forensic science technician in a laboratory setting. These professionals contribute to criminal investigations by running experiments on chemical and biological samples. To get any of these jobs, you will need at least a bachelor's degree.</p>