A hospital is a team environment with many different disciplines involved in daily patient care. One of the most important disciplines that keep a hospital up and running is a research lab technician. If you are naturally interested in science and technology and if you want to work in a field where science is applied in medicine, a medical career as a research lab technician may be the right career for you.
Job Description
As a research lab technician, you will work hand in hand with the research team at the hospital or a research institution. You’ll work in a research laboratory with other laboratory technicians. This involves preparing the research plan, mapping out the stages of the research, the necessary tools and materials for the research, and then implementing the actual research through tests and experiments. Afterward, it will be your job to assist with interpreting the results. After interpretation of results, the research lab technician may also help in preparing a report of the results.
Use these tips to learn about the necessary training required for research lab technician careers. One way you can get the medical technician training you'll need for these jobs is through online schooling—many online universities now offer degree and certificate programs for research lab technicians.
Education and Training
In high school, you will need to focus your studies in science with emphasis on biology. Be sure to get at least a 3.0 grade point average. After high school graduation, you can apply to any college that offers science based degrees.
While in college, you can take a course to become a certified lab assistant or phlebotomist to help you gain experience working in a laboratory.
You will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry or other related science courses. After getting your Bachelor of Science degree, getting a master’s degree or a doctorate will help you penetrate better positions in the job market. There are also some specific types of research lab roles that may require certification, depending on the state where you are living. If you want to be a laboratory chemist or a laboratory analyst, for example, some states will require you to pass a licensure exam and a one year training period to work in research laboratories.
Job Opportunities
Generally, research lab technicians can work in universities, in hospitals and clinics, in government research laboratories, and in private research laboratories. Again, one of your biggest advantages to being a research lab technician is the diversity and scope of work that you are allowed to do, which means that you can work in almost any science related setting. This is especially true since science thrives on continued research and development. Some research lab technicians can also work for private researchers undertaking their own researches and with their own research grants
Salary and Job Growth
Starting salary for a research lab technician is around $37,000 and can go as high as $47,000. One of the biggest advantages of working as a research lab technician is that there is a high demand for these types of technicians. As the research laboratories in most modern hospitals become more sophisticated and complex, most doctors are leaving the technical aspect of medicine to research lab technicians. You will be tasked with running the tests and analyzing the results. Some research lab technicians also work in purely research based medical institutions where you study new treatments and new medications that can be used for patients.
As a research lab technician, you can eventually be promoted to the role of head researcher by undertaking additional training and education. This is usually where a master’s degree or a doctorate will help you.
Working in a laboratory can be an exciting, yet challenging career. If you like science and research, a job as a research lab technician may be just the right job for you.