What is a histologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Histologists generally specialize in preparing tissue samples for medical purposes or research studies. They cut specimens and treat them with staining chemicals so that they are ready for analysis by pathologists.

As a his/her tologist, you prepare tissues that are then studied under a microscope by pathologists to discover irregularities or diseases. You also examine various samples under a microscope to check that whether the tissues are prepared according to lab guidelines or not.

For certification as a his/her tologist, you must earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited school with a combined total of thirty semester hours in chemistry and biology. In addition to the undergraduate degree, you must complete an accredited his/her tology program or have a year of eligible experience at a his/her topathology lab.

ScoreHistologistUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $59,183

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.3

Growth Rate 17%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 22.20%

Black or African American 6.51%

Hispanic or Latino 9.78%

Unknown 4.15%

White 57.23%

Gender

female 71.01%

male 28.99%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress Level
6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Histologist career paths

Key steps to become a histologist

  1. Explore histologist education requirements

    Most common histologist degrees

    Bachelor's

    57.8 %

    Associate

    26.2 %

    Master's

    4.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific histologist skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    ASCP14.66%
    Patient Care8.79%
    Immunohistochemistry5.53%
    Tissue Samples4.99%
    Lab Equipment4.70%
  3. Complete relevant histologist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New histologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a histologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real histologist resumes.
  4. Research histologist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage a group of three laboratory technicians performing ELISA assays and protein purification.
    • Perform routine histology functions, special stains, frozen sectioning and Immunohistochemistry.
    • Perform routine histology tasks including embedding, sectioning, and routine staining.
    • Provide routine histology embedding, microtome processing and staining.
  5. Prepare your histologist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your histologist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a histologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Histologist Resume templates

    Build a professional Histologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Histologist resume.
    Histologist Resume
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    Histologist Resume
    Histologist Resume
  6. Apply for histologist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a histologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Histologist Job

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Average histologist salary

The average Histologist salary in the United States is $59,183 per year or $28 per hour. Histologist salaries range between $34,000 and $101,000 per year.

Average Histologist Salary
$59,183 Yearly
$28.45 hourly

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How do histologists rate their job?

-/5

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Histologist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

Hands on work and being able to learn new things everyday. Working side by side with the medical director was great too.

Cons

Not enough time to learn special Stains due to the department closing down


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

I love my work. I make art everyday, I enjoy being good at it and knowing that I help people and am a huge part of the diagnosis process. I’m thankful to have fallen into histology.

Cons

In general histotechs are under appreciated and that can affect the group atmosphere at work. I’ve worked with a lot of bitter histotechs. They’re great people, but after many years become angry and bitter. Hard to be around. I still love my job though.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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