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

What is a tissue technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

As a Tissue Technician, you are responsible for using aseptic techniques to assist or perform the recovery of human postmortem tissue, including bone, connective tissue, skin, heart for heart valves and veins, to ensure safe grafts for transplantation. You will need aseptic techniques and maintain appropriate aseptic techniques during recovery processes. You will follow stringent procedures for proper procurements. You will supervise and train new employees on medical charts, donor suitability, aseptic techniques, and surgical recovery techniques.

You will need to adhere strictly to the health and safety protocols as you conduct operating room processes and aseptic techniques. You will also need to know and understand how to run tests on cell cultures and use centrifuges, shakers, and bioreactors for cell cultures. You will also assist Tissue Recovery Coordinators and Technicians. You will need a bachelor's degree in a medical field, biology, or nursing. You will also need experience in nursing, cell culture, or other medical fields. You can make an average of $21.31 per hour or $44,326 per year.

ScoreTissue TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $37,948

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.09%

Black or African American 9.77%

Hispanic or Latino 17.28%

Unknown 5.12%

White 54.94%

Gender

female 55.18%

male 44.82%

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

Key steps to become a tissue technician

Explore tissue technician education requirements

Most common tissue technician degrees

Bachelor's

58.0 %

Associate

16.9 %

High School Diploma

7.8 %

Start to develop specific tissue technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Sterile Technique	15.75%
American Association	8.64%
Tissue Recovery	8.21%
Human Tissue	7.76%
Surgical Instruments	6.60%

Complete relevant tissue technician training and internships

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

Research tissue technician duties and responsibilities

Recognize & investigate instrument malfunctions, perform calibrations, manage QC, and maintain comprehensive written records of tests & procedures.
Create and monitor metrics for program success with AATB and FDA compliance.
Inspect and fulfill orders in compliance with CFR and FDA guidelines.
Perform QC and instrument maintenance, taking appropriate action to maintain accuracy and precision.

Prepare your tissue technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your tissue 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 tissue 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 Tissue Technician Resume templates

Build a professional Tissue Technician 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 Tissue Technician resume.

Apply for tissue technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a tissue 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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