How to Become a Certified Lab Technician in 4 Steps

Most people are somewhat familiar with the process of having a sample taken, whether that be blood, urine, or even tissue, and sent to a lab for testing.

But what happens after the sample is taken from you? That's where lab technicians come in. They're responsible for testing, analyzing, and maintaining these samples.

To become a certified lab technician, you'll need some combination of education and experience and then will need to pass a certification exam. We'll break down the whole process below.

What Is a Certified Lab Technician?

A lab technician is a medical professional who tests and analyzes samples in a laboratory. A certified lab technician is a lab tech who has gone through the additional step of becoming certified.

Some common job duties of lab technicians include:

• analyzing test results
• collecting test samples and lab specimens
• passing on test results to the patient's care teams
• quality control of samples
• recording test results and uploading the results to the patient's chart
• testing and analyzing blood, urine, and tissue samples
• using and maintaining laboratory equipment

To become a certified laboratory technician, you will need to fulfill all the requirements of the certification you choose. In some states, you may need to become licensed.

We'll dive into all the steps below.

Step 1: Check Your State Requirements

Every state has its own requirements for medical personnel. It's important to know what the requirements are for the state you plan to work in.

Currently, 10 states require licensure for lab technicians:

• California
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Montana
• Nevada
• New York
• North Dakota
• Tennessee
• West Virginia

Some of these states require lab technicians to take a state exam, while others will accept certification from an approved board.

Step 2: Earn a Degree

To become certified, you'll need at least an associate degree from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory technology or a similar degree field.

Associate degrees are mainly offered by community or technical colleges. They usually require 60 credits and take about two years to complete.

A bachelor's degree isn't necessary to become a medical lab tech. However, some employers may prefer to hire candidates with a bachelor's degree.

Additionally, if you are wanting to further your career by becoming a medical laboratory technologist or medical laboratory scientist, you may need a bachelor's degree.

You can find accredited medical laboratory technology programs through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Step 3: Become Certified

There are a few different certification bodies in the United States for lab technicians to choose from. Each has its own requirements and some offer certifications for specialties.

American Association of Bioanalysis

The American Association of Bioanalysis (AAB) is an association made up of two certification boards. The AAB Board of Registry certifies entry-level positions and the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) certifies advanced positions.

There are three ways you can fulfill the requirements to sit for the medical lab technician (MLT) certification exam:

• complete an approved or accredited clinical laboratory training program
• earn an associate degree in laboratory science or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution
• complete an official U.S. military medical laboratory procedures course and earn the military specialty of Medical Laboratory Specialist

The exam covers general knowledge as well as five key disciplines. These disciplines are:

• chemistry
• hematology
• immunology
• immunohematology
• microbiology

American Medical Technologists

The American Medical Technologists (AMT) offers several medical technology certifications, including a Medical Laboratory Technician certification.

To qualify for the certification exam, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

• earn an associate degree in medical laboratory technician or equivalent from an accredited institution
• complete at least two years of courses within the last five years from an accredited institution, completed at least 25-semester course in clinical laboratory science subjects, and a minimum of six months of clinical laboratory experience
• complete a U.S. military medical laboratory training program

The exam covers nine work areas:

• general laboratory
• chemistry
• hematology
• coagulation and hemostasis
• immunology and serology
• immunohematology
• blood banking and transfusion services
• microbiology
• urinalysis and body fluids

The American Society for Clinical Pathology

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is a community of medical professionals. It includes a Board of Certification that offers several certification options, including an MLT certification.

You can qualify for the MLT exam by having an associate degree and one of the following:

• successful completion of an NAACLS or ABHES accredited MLT program
• successful completion of a U.S. military medical laboratory training course
• three years of full-time acceptable clinical experience

The exam covers seven content areas:

• blood banking
• urinalysis and other body fluids
• chemistry
• hematology
• immunology
• microbiology
• laboratory operations

All 10 states that require licensure either accept or require an ASCP certification exam.

Step 4: Obtain Licensure

Depending on the state you live in, certification may be the last step before you are eligible to work as a lab tech.

However, if you work in one of the 10 states listed above you'll need to take the additional step of getting licensed.

Each of these states has different requirements for licensure. Most will accept a national certification, but you still may need to fulfill a few more requirements.

For example, California recognizes the AAB and ASCP exam, but also requires applicants to take and pass an online quiz about California laboratory laws and regulations.

Become a Certified Lab Technician Today

There are several paths you can take to become a certified lab technician, but almost all of them require a degree and all require passing a certification exam. Begin your career path today.