Lab technicians test and examine samples.
Clinical laboratory technicians and science lab technicians conduct many of the tests done in a laboratory for research purposes or for the purpose of detecting and diagnosing disease. Technician positions can vary greatly in terms of the requirements and duties. Those with a degree in chemistry are likely to be overqualified for most technician positions, but not for positions as a laboratory technologist or a chemical technician.
General Requirements
According to the BLS, there are numerous ways to become a laboratory technician. Some people become laboratory technicians through hands-on training, some through formal education and some through a combination of the two. Laboratory technicians need to understand use the various equipment in a laboratory and they need knowledge of both biological and chemical processes because both are important to anticipating and understanding laboratory results.
Certificate Programs
One of the shorter paths to becoming a laboratory technician is a certificate program at a technical institute. These programs can take approximately one year and emphasize laboratory technology rather than one specific area of science like chemistry. One disadvantage to this education path is that it typically requires less of the general education coursework employers often find desirable among job candidates.
Associate'd Degrees
An associate's degree is one of the more common career paths that laboratory technicians pursue. In most cases, laboratory technicians obtain an associate's degree in conjunction with on-the-job training. The BLS notes that many laboratory technicians pursue a degree in one of the natural sciences like chemistry.
Bachelor's Degrees
A bachelor's degree in chemistry can lead to a position as a chemical technician or as a laboratory technologist. The BLS notes that the bachelor's degree is required for chemical technician positions, whereas the associate's degree suffices for other laboratory technician jobs. For clinical laboratory technicians, the most common path to a career is the associate's degree, but a technologist's position generally requires a bachelor's degree. Technologists differ somewhat from technicians in terms of job function in that technologists often have more independent research duties. Both chemical technicians and technologists can have a degree in chemistry. Laboratory technicians typically need to only have an associate's degree. Because the job duties are defined by the employers, there may be exceptions to this rule.
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