Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary: $50.00/hr$2,000/wk$104,000/yr median.
Pay range $37.50$1,500$78,000–$61.69/hr$2,468/wk$128,315/yr across the middle 50% of active Science Allied Health Professional postings nationwide.
237 unique employers · 364 cities · 45 states. Pay moved +1.8% over the last 30 days.
How Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $31.00/hr$1,240/wk$64,480/yr. The top 10% pay above $70.00/hr$2,800/wk$145,600/yr.
How Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $61.50 in May 2026 to $41.50 in Oct 2026 (-32.5%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $61.50$2,460$127,920 | $54.00$2,160$112,320–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 193 |
| Jun 2026 | $55.50$2,220$115,440 | $44.00$1,760$91,520–$64.50$2,580$134,160 | 181 |
| Jul 2026 | $39.00$1,560$81,120 | $35.00$1,400$72,800–$59.00$2,360$122,720 | 57 |
| Aug 2026 | $40.50$1,620$84,240 | $34.50$1,380$71,760–$55.25$2,210$114,920 | 75 |
| Sep 2026 | $41.00$1,640$85,280 | $36.50$1,460$75,920–$59.75$2,390$124,280 | 159 |
| Oct 2026 | $41.50$1,660$86,320 | $36.50$1,460$75,920–$54.50$2,180$113,360 | 165 |
Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 27 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Clinical Laboratory Scientist paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| oakland | CA · CALIFORNIA | $76.50$3,060$159,120 | $74.00$2,960$153,920–$82.00$3,280$170,560 | 11 |
| san bernardino | CA · CALIFORNIA | $62.50$2,500$130,000 | $62.50$2,500$130,000–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 55 |
| grass valley | CA · CALIFORNIA | $61.50$2,460$127,920 | $61.50$2,460$127,920–$61.50$2,460$127,920 | 17 |
| los angeles | CA · CALIFORNIA | $61.00$2,440$126,880 | $60.50$2,420$125,840–$65.50$2,620$136,240 | 41 |
| redding | CA · CALIFORNIA | $58.50$2,340$121,680 | $58.50$2,340$121,680–$58.50$2,340$121,680 | 26 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| CommonSpirit Health | $62.50$2,500$130,000 | $26.00$1,040$54,080–$71.50$2,860$148,720 | 116 |
| Guardant Health | $70.00$2,800$145,600 | $58.50$2,340$121,680–$70.00$2,800$145,600 | 7 |
| Huntington Hospital | $66.00$2,640$137,280 | $64.50$2,580$134,160–$66.00$2,640$137,280 | 7 |
| kaiser permanente | $67.45$2,698$140,296 | $36.28$1,451$75,462–$113.77$4,551$236,642 | 24 |
| Keck Medicine of USC | $61.00$2,440$126,880 | $59.00$2,360$122,720–$72.50$2,900$150,800 | 7 |
| Salinas Valley Health | $63.50$2,540$132,080 | $62.00$2,480$128,960–$69.50$2,780$144,560 | 5 |
| Stanford Health Care | $69.00$2,760$143,520 | $69.00$2,760$143,520–$82.00$3,280$170,560 | 7 |
| Sutter Health | $76.50$3,060$159,120 | $64.50$2,580$134,160–$92.00$3,680$191,360 | 35 |
| trustaff allied | $72.83$2,913$151,486 | $72.00$2,880$149,760–$81.13$3,245$168,750 | 6 |
| UCLA Health | $68.25$2,730$141,960 | $65.50$2,620$136,240–$69.00$2,760$143,520 | 8 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Travel Contract pays the most at $75.15/hr$3,006/wk$156,312/yr median — 86% above PRN at $40.50/hr$1,620/wk$84,240/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 458 active postings.
How to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
Allied Health Professionals are the licensed and credentialed clinicians who deliver therapy, diagnostic imaging, lab work, rehabilitation, and procedural support inside healthcare — everyone who isn't a physician, nurse, dentist, or pharmacist. The category spans physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, radiology and sonography, lab science, respiratory therapy, surgical tech, and dozens more. Because each profession has its own education and credentialing pathway, this page covers the shared structure: degree → clinical hours → national exam → state license.
Every allied health profession has its own ladder, but the shape is consistent: complete an accredited program in your specialty (CAAHEP, CAPTE, ACOTE, ASHA, ARC-PA, NAACLS, etc.), log the required supervised clinical hours, sit for the national credentialing exam (NPTE, NBCOT, ASCP, ARRT, etc.), and apply for state licensure. Most professions also require continuing education to maintain credentials.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate / Associate (AAS)Cert / AAS | 1-2 years | Entry point for technician-level allied roles — surgical tech, EKG tech, phlebotomy, medical assistant, sterile processing. Often combined with a credentialing exam. |
| Associate of Applied ScienceAAS | 2-3 years | Standard for radiologic technologist (RT), respiratory therapist (RRT entry route), and many lab tech roles. Includes supervised clinical hours. |
| Bachelor's degreeBS | 4 years | Required for clinical lab scientist (MLS), most sonography programs, radiation therapy, and the dietitian path. Often the prerequisite for graduate clinical programs. |
| Master's degreeMS / MOT / MSLP | 2-3 years post-bachelor | Required for entry to practice in occupational therapy (MOT/OTD), speech-language pathology (MSLP/CCC-SLP), and physician assistant programs. |
| Clinical doctorateDPT / OTD / AuD | 3 years post-bachelor | Required for physical therapy (DPT) and audiology (AuD) entry; the optional OTD elevates occupational therapists. The standard for several rehab professions today. |
Every clinical allied health profession requires a state-issued license. Eligibility almost always requires graduation from an accredited program plus passing a national credentialing exam.
Standard requirement for patient-facing allied health roles in hospital and clinic settings.
Examples: ARRT for radiologic technologists, NPTE for physical therapists, NBCOT for OTs, CCC-SLP for speech-language pathologists, ASCP for lab scientists, NBRC for respiratory therapists.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty credential Advanced or sub-specialty credentialing Examples: orthopedic / neurologic / cardio specialty boards in PT, CT/MR/mammography modalities in radiology, IBCLC for lactation, RD for nutrition. Almost every allied profession has a credential that meaningfully moves pay and scope. | ABPTS, AOTA-BCG, ARRT post-primary, etc. | +5-15% |
| ACLS / PALS Advanced / Pediatric Life Support Required for ICU, ER, cath lab, and pediatric assignments in many imaging and respiratory roles. | American Heart Association | Setting-dependent |
- 0-1 yearsClinical fellow / new graduate
Newly licensed clinician working under mentorship. Many systems offer formal new-grad residencies (orthopedic, neuro, NICU, etc.).
- 1-4 yearsStaff clinician
Independent caseload across the standard scope of practice. Often the point at which clinicians pick a setting (acute, outpatient, school, home health) and start specialty CEUs.
- 4-7 yearsSenior / specialty clinician
Holds a board specialty or advanced credential. Takes on harder cases, supervises students/clinical fellows, and may lead specialty programs.
- 7-10 yearsLead / clinical coordinator
Oversees scheduling, protocols, and quality for a department or service line. Mentors staff and partners with physicians.
- 10+ yearsDepartment manager / director
Owns staffing, budget, and operations for a rehab, imaging, lab, or respiratory department. Often requires a master's or MHA.
Schedule. Outpatient roles run business hours; hospital roles include nights, weekends, and on-call coverage in imaging, lab, and respiratory. Therapy professions average 35-40 patient-care hours per week.
Physical demands. Varies by profession — therapy roles involve patient lifting and transfers, imaging and sonography require sustained standing and equipment positioning, and lab work is largely seated but visually demanding.
Allied health is one of the fastest-growing slices of healthcare. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, sonography, radiation therapy, and respiratory therapy all post above-average projected growth. An aging population, increased rehab demand, and imaging-driven diagnostics keep openings well above supply across most regions.
What clinicians ask about Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay.
What is the average Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary in 2026?
The median Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary is $50.00/hr (approximately $104,000/yr) based on 950 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Clinical Laboratory Scientist?
Hourly pay ranges from $37.50 at the 25th percentile to $61.69 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $70.00/hr.
Which state pays Clinical Laboratory Scientist roles the most?
California currently leads with a median of $61.50/hr across 478 postings.
How many employers are hiring Clinical Laboratory Scientists?
Our dataset shows 237 unique employers posting Clinical Laboratory Scientist roles across 45 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Allied Health Professional tracks.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist sits inside the Science track. Here are sibling tracks across Allied Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.