Histologic Technicians

Employment for medical laboratory technicians is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations from 2023 through 2033, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. As the aging population grows and the number of people who are covered by health insurance expands, the demand for laboratory tests will increase. Advances in technology will have both positive and negative effects on employment in this career. The development of new tests and procedures is expected to increase opportunities, but at the same time many tests are being simplified so that health care professionals and patients can perform them themselves. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2023, there were 344,200 medical and clinical laboratory technicians employed in the United States, and that number is expected to grow to 362,500 by 2033.

The National Society for Histotechnology says that "there are more jobs for histotechnicians than educated people to fill those jobs. Anatomic pathology and histology labs are experiencing record staffing shortages. There has never been a better time to be a histotechnician or histotechnologist."