How To Become A Laboratory Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a laboratory clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A medical laboratory is a very important establishment. This is where patient samples go to get tested and where diseases are identified. Therefore, it is very important that the laboratory stays organized. Usually it is the job of the laboratory clerk to make sure that the lab stays in tip-top shape and that no results go back to the wrong office.

The laboratory clerk usually takes care of all of the administrative duties in a laboratory. This can include keeping track of samples, processing test results, and inputting data. Often, the laboratory clerk is the liaison between the lab and doctors' offices. They receive samples from doctors, organize them in order of priority, and communicate results back to clinics.

Although some laboratory clerks have a bachelor's degree, most do not. The skills needed to succeed in this position, such as organizational skills, data entry, and basic knowledge of phlebotomy, are usually learned on the job.

ScoreLaboratory ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,182

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.00%

Asian 7.18%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 19.99%

Unknown 4.51%

White 56.68%

Gender

female 81.41%

male 18.59%

Age - 50

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 - 50

Stress Level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Laboratory Clerk in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a laboratory clerk

Explore laboratory clerk education requirements

Most common laboratory clerk degrees

Bachelor's

33.8 %

Associate

29.1 %

High School Diploma

16.6 %

Start to develop specific laboratory clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	32.15%
Phlebotomy	9.68%
Lab Specimens	5.88%
Computer System	4.13%
Computer Data Entry	4.07%

Complete relevant laboratory clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New laboratory clerks 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 laboratory clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real laboratory clerk resumes.

Research laboratory clerk duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Train and follow strict HIPAA laws for protection of patient privacy.
Ensure patient safeguard, protection and comply to all company policies, procedures and HIPAA regulations
Process and organize patients' medical lab records and maintain records accuracy.

Prepare your laboratory clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your laboratory clerk 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 laboratory clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Laboratory Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional Laboratory Clerk 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 Laboratory Clerk resume.

Apply for laboratory clerk jobs

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

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

How do laboratory clerks rate their job?

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Laboratory Clerk reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

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