Current workplace

Respondents represented laboratories of varying sizes and testing volumes. The highest percentage (41%) work in labs with 20 or fewer employees, while 22% work in labs employing more than 100 people. Annual testing volumes were similarly diverse: 37% worked in laboratories performing more than 1 million tests annually, while 20% reported volumes between 100,001 and 500,000 tests.

Compared with 2025, respondents were more established with their current employers. The percentage with fewer than 10 years of service declined from 60% to 41%, while the share employed by the same organization for at least 20 years increased from 23% to 36%. Those with less than three years of tenure fell by nearly half, from 25% to 13%.

Standard eight-hour shifts became more common, reported by 61% of respondents compared with 52% in 2025. Meanwhile, 12-hour shifts declined from 11% to 4%, and 10-hour shifts fell from 20% to 15%.

A new question examined the average number of hours worked per week, finding 80% of respondents working at least 40 hours, including 42% who exceeded 40 hours. More than one-third (36%) reported working 41–50 hours per week, and 6% worked more than 50 hours.

Robinson and Justice stressed the importance of looking beyond the numbers to whether pay reflects professional qualifications.

“Compensation should always be commensurate with education and experience,” said Robinson. “And salaries have improved where there are bidding wars with competition for supply and demand of qualified board-certified medical laboratory professionals. But unfortunately, not everywhere and need this nationwide.”

“I do not believe that the current national average salaries for medical laboratory professionals accurately reflect the educational background we hold and responsibilities we take on each day,” said Justice. “We are required to have specific educational backgrounds, certification/license, and specialized clinical skills. These all equate to a higher compensation that isn’t offered to us.”

Most respondents anticipate a modest salary increase in 2026, with 55% expecting a raise of 2%-4%, up from 44% in 2025, while the other raise categories changed relatively little. Bonuses became less common with only 26% of respondents reporting they received a bonus last year, down from 32%). 

Employer benefit offerings remained robust year-over-year, with most laboratory professionals surveyed receiving health insurance (96%), dental insurance (90%), a 401k or pension plan (90%), vision insurance (88%), PTO (84%) and life insurance (81%). Nearly three-quarters (74%) reported receiving disability insurance, 68% paid holidays, 59% employee assistance program and tuition reimbursement, and 51% overtime pay. 

Job satisfaction, security and advancement opportunities

Overall job satisfaction improved modestly, with those reporting to be “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” increasing to 84% in 2026, from 79% in 2025. However, looking at the “very satisfied” responses in isolation, this fell to 31% from 38%, while the “somewhat satisfied” responses rose to 53% from 41%. 

When asked for the primary reason for staying in their current position, more than half (53%) chose location/commute (52% in 2025), followed by salary (42%, up from 38%) and benefits (42% up from 39%), work/life balance (41% down from 47%), team/culture (38%, same as 2025), job security (32%, same as 2025), and lack of other opportunities (16%, same as 2025).

Robinson commented on the importance of executive leadership support in recruitment and retainment strategies, stating, “While laboratory advocating has appropriately focused on attracting attention to medical laboratory science, recruiting and retaining are also critical. Laboratory leadership must have a seat at the C-suite table with a voice to ensure supportive leadership for resourceful environments and well compensated medical laboratory professionals.”

Career advancement and education and training programs

Medical laboratory professionals reported greater uncertainty around career advancement compared with last year. Only 31% of respondents believe they have adequate opportunities, down from 41%. The “not sure” response nearly doubled, to 31% from 17%. Interestingly, those selecting “no” also declined, at 38 in 2026%, down from 43% in 2025.

Perceptions of education and training improved considerably. The combined satisfied responses – those who reported feeling “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” – increased from 71% to 81%, while combined dissatisfaction responses – “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” – fell from 29% to 19%.

Justice underscored why an investment in education and training must continue throughout a professional’s career: “While I am grateful for my educational background and continue toward my master’s degree, I wish there had been more emphasis on the fact that laboratory science is evolving every day. Some of the knowledge we know now may change to the point of irrelevance as science continues to progress. “Continuing education and the desire for constant improvement are going to be leading factors of relevance as this career field continues to evolve.”

What laboratory professionals have to say about career advancement

MLO asked medical laboratory professionals who took part in the survey to elaborate on opportunities for career advancement at their current jobs. In reviewing the “write in” responses, it appears that career advancement remains a complicated issue.

Limited career ladders are a roadblock to advancement. Those in larger laboratories described a ladder consisting of lead, supervisor, manager, and director positions. In smaller laboratories, some reported that no additional level exists above their current role. Others said advancement depends on waiting for a manager to leave or retire, relocating, or pursuing a position outside the laboratory in areas such as administration, quality, information systems, sales, or corporate operations.

Several respondents also questioned whether moving into management would provide sufficient compensation for the additional workload and stress. “There is opportunity to take on supervisory roles, but I don’t believe the salary is worth the amount of responsibilities,” wrote one lab professional. Another wrote that their job scope had “tripled with regional lab responsibilities” without a formal promotion.

Among those who commented on a positive experience with their career advancement, some cited strong internal promotion practices, clinical career ladders, mentoring, leadership-development programs, tuition support, and opportunities to move across departments. Several had advanced from bench positions into supervisory, managerial, or director roles. 

At the same time, not every laboratory professional wants to enter management. Some respondents were satisfied in technical roles, had intentionally stepped away from leadership, were approaching retirement, or prioritized family and work-life balance. As one respondent wrote, “I work part time and my first focus is on my family, but if I chose to return to full time and pursue a leadership position, there are opportunities.”

What laboratory professionals have to say about lab education and training programs

While overall satisfaction with laboratory education and training improved in 2026, the comments from dissatisfied respondents revealed significant gaps. Some reported that their employers provide no laboratory-specific education beyond initial on-the-job training, mandatory safety instruction, or competency activities required for regulatory compliance. 

Even when educational opportunities are available, laboratory professionals may not have the time or staffing coverage needed to participate. Respondents described attempting to complete webinars while managing heavy workloads, attending programs after their scheduled shifts, or pursuing education on their own time. Requests to attend off-site seminars and conferences were frequently denied because of staffing shortages or limited budgets. As one respondent explained, “The University offers staff training opportunities, but I cannot take time away from the lab to attend.”

Several respondents also perceived an imbalance between the educational support available to laboratory professionals and nurses. They said nursing staff had greater access to tuition assistance, advanced-degree programs, research opportunities, and institutionally supported professional development. One respondent described the challenge in this way, “Most of the educational opportunities are given to nurses to obtain professional degrees such as masters and doctorate degrees.”

The absence of dedicated laboratory educators was another recurring concern. Respondents said training is often assigned to managers, supervisors, or bench staff already responsible for daily operations. This can result in inconsistent orientation, unclear guidelines, and employees being trained by multiple people. 

“I believe this is something that should be a separate job from the day-to-day operations,” said one respondent. “I feel that if a company were to put in the extra work for just one or two individuals for such a program, that the turnover rate would decrease and morale would increase significantly.”

Automation activity declined despite ongoing workforce challenges. Only 30% reported their laboratories automating or further automating new procedures last year, down from 39%.

Justice commented on the impacts of increased automation in the medical laboratory environment, stating:

“With continuous advancements in automation in the laboratory, we can offer a greater test menu selection to our patients. For hospitals and clinics, this can help reduce send out testing to result in faster turnaround times. However, this evolution adds more tests, analyzers, and sample volume to current staff numbers, which adds the responsibility of more maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting to medical laboratory scientists.”

Looking ahead: Career advocacy and advancement

MLO asked Justice and Robinson whether healthcare leaders, other clinicians, and patients adequately understand the expertise medical laboratory professionals contribute to diagnosis and treatment – and what would help increase that recognition?

“I think the best way to help others understand our contributions to the medical care process is to advocate for ourselves and our profession,” said Justice. “I don’t think people understand the full scope of our knowledge and expertise, but they never will if we continue to allow ourselves to be underrepresented.”

“Laboratory advocacy is each and every one of us individually and together,” said Robinson. “From heath career fairs showcasing elementary to college students along with summer immersion programs to professional societies to lobbying legislators and negotiating at workplace to social media platforms for media attention/public awareness/industry respect/legislative support.”  

“We need strong endorsement at the colleges and universities for NAACLS educational curriculum programs and at facilities for increased availability of clinical internships,” she continued. “We need the healthcare community to corroborate to attract, recruit and retain qualified board-certified medical laboratory professionals for quality standards of laboratory testing – patient care deserves no less.”