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

What is a test laboratory technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Benjamin Ford

The test laboratory technician will support laboratory-based scientific investigations by carrying out routine technical experiments and tasks. You will collect, receive, label, and analyze samples or substances using the correct testing equipment. All experimental data you collect will be recorded and test results accurately in the specific format. All chemical substances, fluids, and compressed gases will be stored and organized according to safety instructions by you. You must ensure that safety guidelines are adhered to at all times within the laboratory. All needed laboratory supplies will be ordered by you. You will also keep up to date with relevant scientific and technical developments.

The educational requirement for the post of Test Laboratory Technician is a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, or a related field. You must have a valid laboratory technician license, and working experience is an added advantage. Plus, you should be comfortable with handling potentially dangerous substances. Test lab technicians earn an average of $45,129 a year.

What general advice would you give to a Test Laboratory Technician?

Benjamin Ford

Professor and Chair, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Students graduating this year have come through a life-changing year. I'd encourage them to embrace that change. Rather than putting this year behind them and moving on, I'd like graduates to reflect on what worked and didn't work in the past year, and use that reflection to improve themselves and the world. This could be as simple as continuing to hone the time management skills we were all forced to develop, or as large as working to dismantle one of the structural inequalities that became glaringly apparent as nations struggled with health and economy.

ScoreTest Laboratory TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,765

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 11.64%

Black or African American 9.35%

Hispanic or Latino 17.27%

Unknown 5.12%

White 55.81%

Gender

female 20.93%

male 79.07%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress Level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.7

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a test laboratory technician

Explore test laboratory technician education requirements

Most common test laboratory technician degrees

Bachelor's

47.5 %

Associate

33.8 %

High School Diploma

8.8 %

Start to develop specific test laboratory technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Test Equipment	8.08%
Troubleshoot	6.67%
Test Results	6.27%
Test Lab	5.73%
Test Methods	5.45%

Complete relevant test laboratory technician training and internships

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

Research test laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Used LabVIEW to collect data from measurement equipment (transducers, etc . )
Assist in the design of all RF and environmental fixtures need to test these components.
Assist product engineering to make changes to products in order to meet UL and CSA standards.

Prepare your test laboratory technician resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Test Laboratory Technician Resume templates

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Apply for test laboratory technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a test laboratory technician 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

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