Quick answer: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians in Pennsylvania earn a median $51,680 per year, below the national median of $62,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 13,020 of them. Licensing runs through your state health department or clinical laboratory personnel board.
| Metric | Pennsylvania | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $51,680 | $62,930 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th percentile | $37,630 | $38,910 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 25th percentile | $44,130 | $47,650 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 75th percentile | $75,770 | $81,450 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 90th percentile | $86,390 | $100,990 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 13,020 | 332,940 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Location quotient | 1.0 | 1.00 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | not published by state | 1.7% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
The Pennsylvania median of $51,680 sits below the national median of $62,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.0 puts Pennsylvania slightly above the national average, so the occupation is a little more common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg | $65,080 | 120 |
| Lebanon | $62,160 | 70 |
| Harrisburg | $61,300 | 700 |
| Philadelphia | $59,790 | 6,150 |
| Lancaster | $59,690 | 360 |
| Allentown | $59,000 | 1,080 |
| Gettysburg | $54,450 | 40 |
| York | $52,590 | 260 |
| Scranton | $51,680 | 550 |
| Johnstown | $50,460 | 170 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Clinical laboratory employment concentrates around hospital systems and the reference laboratories that serve a region, so the local picture follows the health system rather than population alone.
Allentown * Altoona * Chambersburg * Erie * Harrisburg * Johnstown * Lancaster * Philadelphia * Pittsburgh * Reading * Scranton * State College * York
Laboratory personnel requirements are set at state level and differ more than in most allied-health fields, with some states operating their own personnel licensure and others relying on federal laboratory regulation alone. The national constants are programmatic accreditation through NAACLS and certification through the ASCP Board of Certification, which employers generally treat as the working credential.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state health department or clinical laboratory personnel board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 191 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in Pennsylvania is $51,680, below the national median of $62,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $44,130 at the 25th percentile to $75,770 at the 75th.
Pennsylvania holds about 13,020 clinical laboratory scientist jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 332,940, and BLS projects about 22,600 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Laboratory personnel requirements are set at state level and differ more than in most allied-health fields, with some states operating their own personnel licensure and others relying on federal laboratory regulation alone. The national constants are programmatic accreditation through NAACLS and certification through the ASCP Board of Certification, which employers generally treat as the working credential. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state health department or clinical laboratory personnel board before you enroll in any program.
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state health department or clinical laboratory personnel board.
Among Pennsylvania metro areas with published data, Chambersburg reports the highest median at $65,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
On pay, the state median of $51,680 sits below the national $62,930 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.0 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
