Careers in the medical field are some of the most sought after types of jobs. There is a great need for medical lab technicians in many health facilities and organizations. Due to the acute shortage of these technicians, the career has turned to be quite a fulfilling and lucrative one.

What does the career really entail? The common duties of a medical lab technician include preparing urine, blood and tissue specimen for lab analysis, carrying out the analysis of the specimen and monitoring the medical lab test and procedures. A lab technician also determines how a patient is reacting to a particular treatment by measuring the level of drugs in that patient’s blood.

There are a number of areas of specialty that you can choose if you want to get into the field of medical lab technology. These areas of specialization include blood banking, immunology, microbiology, chemistry, cytotechnology, hematology and virology. For you to be a medical lab technician, you need to complete an associate degree or a certificate program that usually takes 1 to 2 years. The core study areas include chemistry, microbiology, laboratory mathematics, microscopy, pathology and immunology.

Medical lab technicians usually work in the labs in various health care facilities and hospitals. They also work as researchers in research departments in companies that deal with pharmaceuticals. The average salary of a medical lab technician ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 per year. The salary depends on a technician’s location, position, experience and education level.

The future of medical technician career looks very promising. The need for medical lab technician is growing with each passing day and the employment outlook is growing at a remarkable 20.2 percent. You do not have to be doctor to make a difference in the health of others; you can also opt to be a medical technician.