Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations

Annual Earnings

$54,226

Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities

College Diploma or Apprenticeship, less than 2 years

Job Openings
(2024-2034)

1,890

Career Overview

Medical laboratory technicians and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals for use in testing.

Conduct routine medical laboratory tests
Set up, clean and maintain medical laboratory equipment
Work for medical laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, post-secondary educational institutions and government research laboratories

Job Titles

Blood bank technician

Clinical laboratory technician

Community health technician - medical laboratory

Histology technician

Laboratory assistant - medical

Medical laboratory aide

Medical laboratory assistant

Medical laboratory helper

Medical laboratory technical assistant

Medical laboratory technician

Phlebotomist

Phlebotomy aide

Renal technician

Technical assistant - medical laboratory

Duties

Medical laboratory assistants perform some or all of the following duties:

Collect blood or other samples from patients
Log patient samples and prepare them for testing
Set up medical laboratory equipment
Prepare special chemical to be combined with biological samples for testing
Conduct routine laboratory tests and sample analyses
Perform quality assurance of testing techniques
Clean and maintain medical laboratory and medical laboratory equipment

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$54,226

Provincial Hourly Rate

High

$38.30/hr

Median

$26.00/hr

Low

$22.00/hr

Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

3,585

% Employed Full Time

53%

Source: 2021 Census

Most medical laboratory assistants work 35–40 hours per week. Those working in hospitals often rotate shifts to work on weekends and holidays. Some on-call work may also be required to cover emergencies.

Workers in this occupational group generally work in clean, bright and well-ventilated medical laboratories, clinics or offices in hospitals. During their workday, they may perform a variety of tests or they may repeat the same tests throughout the day. They use solutions and reagents for their work, which may cause unpleasant odours. These workers may also have to work with infectious patients, samples or hazardous chemicals, so safety precautions are taken to avoid those risks.

Career Pathways

Graduates may work in a number of different settings, such as private laboratories, community health clinics, public health facilities, university research labs, biotechnology companies and specialty labs.

With additional education, training and experience, workers may progress to supervisory or technologist positions.

Related Careers

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic

(

Doers

)

Conventional

(

Organizers

)

Investigative

(

Thinkers

)

Education, Training and Skills

In B.C., medical laboratory assistants must be graduates of British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science (BCSLS) approved Medical Laboratory Assistant training programs.

Completion of these programs can lead to certification by the BCSLS. This certification is voluntary and is not currently required, however, certification may be preferred by employers. A list of the BCSLS approved Medical Laboratory Assistant training programs can be found at www.bcsls.net.

In B.C., medical laboratory assistants are also trained to do ECGs. This is unique to B.C. and workers do not perform this task in other provinces in Canada. Therefore, it is important to note that national certification does not include doing ECGs and that graduates from other provinces will require additional training to carry out this task. National certification is offered by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, which is widely recognized across Canada.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

Diagnostic Technology & Related
Medical Laboratory Related

Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Visit EducationPlannerBC

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

65%

Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

59%

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

57%

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

57%

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

57%

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

56%

Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

53%

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

53%

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

51%

Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

51%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

3,585

Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo

Kootenay

Mainland/Southwest

North Coast and Nechako

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island/Coast

Region	Employment	% Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo	125	3.5%
Kootenay	90	2.5%
Mainland/Southwest	2,285	63.7%
North Coast and Nechako	55	1.5%
Northeast	55	1.5%
Thompson-Okanagan	360	10.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast	615	17.2%

Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

1,890

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo

Kootenay

Mainland/Southwest

North Coast and Nechako

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island/Coast

Region	Job Openings	Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo	80	1.5%
Kootenay	40	1.2%
Mainland/Southwest	1,210	2.1%
North Coast and Nechako	10	0.1%
Northeast	10	-0.1%
Thompson-Okanagan	170	1.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast	370	2.4%

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

Industry	Job Openings (2024-2034)
Health Care and Social Assistance	1,810
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	50
Educational Services	10
Retail Trade	10
Manufacturing	10

For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Insights from Industry

British Columbia's population is growing and aging, which is increasing the demand for health-care services and professionals. With a large number of workers expected to retire over the next few years, the need for medical laboratory assistants will increase.

Additional openings will also come available due to worker turnover. Many workers are attracted to this occupation as a step towards more skilled positions. For assistants who have taken specialized training, turnover rates are generally low.

The introduction of simplified tests for routine diagnoses allows doctors and, in some cases patients, to carry out some tests themselves. This has somewhat reduced the number of medical laboratory assistants needed to do the same volume of work. However, the development of new diagnostic tests that are now requested by physicians has balanced this effect and has increased job opportunities.