Histotechnologist salary by percentile
The closest official histotechnologist salary is the $62,930 median for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, a group of 332,940 workers whose middle half earns $47,650 to $81,450.[onet_lab][oews][oews_api2] O*NET lists histotechnologists as their own occupation but shows this combined BLS wage for it.[sum_histo] The take-home column applies 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,910 | $18.71 | $33,444 |
| 25th | $47,650 | $22.91 | $40,467 |
| Median (50th) | $62,930 | $30.25 | $52,744 |
| 75th | $81,450 | $39.16 | $66,130 |
| 90th | $100,990 | $48.55 | $79,876 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Because the group mixes associate-level technicians and bachelor's-level technologists, a histotechnician usually sits in the lower half of this range and a certified histotechnologist (HTL) in the upper half. BLS does not split the wage by credential, so treat the 25th and 75th percentiles as rough markers, not as a technician and a technologist salary.[ooh_lab]
Histologist vs histotechnologist
When people search for a histologist, they usually mean a histotechnologist: the laboratory professional who prepares tissue for a pathologist to examine. O*NET's reported titles for the occupation include "Histotechnologist", "Histology Technologist", "Histology Specialist" and "Histology Lab Manager".[sum_histo] A histotechnician does similar bench work at the technician level; BLS describes histotechnicians as clinical laboratory technicians "who cut and stain tissue specimens for pathologists", and histotechnologists as performing tests on human tissue to identify diseases.[ooh_lab]
O*NET's task list for histotechnologists starts with embedding tissue specimens in paraffin wax blocks and cutting thin sections of tissue with a microtome for microscopic examination.[sum_histo] The diagnosis itself is made by the pathologist, a physician.
Histotechnologist certification and licensing
Histotechnologist certification usually means the HTL credential from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification, which New York accepts as one route to its license.[nys_htl] BLS notes that some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered.[ooh_lab] New York is one: practicing as a histotechnologist, or using the title, requires a state license.[nys_htl]
| Item | Rule or amount |
|---|---|
| Who needs it | Anyone who practices as, or uses the title, histotechnologist in New York, unless exempt |
| License and first registration fee | $345 (limited permit $50, not refundable) |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Education routes (one of seven) | Current HTL(ASCP) or HTL(ASCPi) certification; a Nevada histotechnologist license; a bachelor's or higher histotechnologist program accredited by NAACLS; or a New York registered or equivalent histotechnology degree program, among others |
| Exam | Required, as set out in Education Law Article 165 and Commissioner's Regulations Subpart 79-21 |
Fees change; NYSED bills the fee in law on the day it receives the application.[nys_htl] ASCP exam fees and eligibility routes are published by the ASCP Board of Certification; check them there before you apply.
Histotechnologist hourly pay
Hourly pay for the clinical laboratory group is $30.25 at the median, $18.71 at the 10th percentile and $48.55 at the 90th.[onet_lab] These are annual estimates divided by 2,080 hours; shift differentials for evening and night lab work are not included.[oews_faq]
| Percentile | Hourly | 32 h/week | 36 h/week | 40 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $18.71 | $31,128 | $35,019 | $38,910 |
| 25th | $22.91 | $38,120 | $42,885 | $47,650 |
| Median | $30.25 | $50,344 | $56,637 | $62,930 |
| 75th | $39.16 | $65,160 | $73,305 | $81,450 |
| 90th | $48.55 | $80,792 | $90,891 | $100,990 |
Histotechnologist salary by state
New York pays clinical laboratory technologists and technicians the most ($97,280 median), followed by Oregon ($83,010) and New Hampshire ($81,020); New Mexico is lowest at $47,360.[onet_lab] These are figures for the whole laboratory group.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. New York | $97,280 | $46.77 | $50,060 | $132,530 |
| 2. Oregon | $83,010 | $39.91 | $49,260 | $117,640 |
| 3. New Hampshire | $81,020 | $38.95 | $42,090 | $99,930 |
| 4. Massachusetts | $79,120 | $38.04 | $47,360 | $105,750 |
| 5. Vermont | $78,680 | $37.83 | $56,460 | $101,120 |
| 6. District of Columbia | $76,560 | $36.81 | $47,470 | $126,300 |
| 7. California | $76,010 | $36.54 | $47,580 | $126,870 |
| 8. Rhode Island | $75,780 | $36.43 | $41,850 | $102,650 |
| 9. Minnesota | $74,440 | $35.79 | $49,810 | $101,190 |
| 10. Washington | $72,760 | $34.98 | $46,780 | $112,020 |
| 11. Illinois | $71,950 | $34.59 | $44,980 | $99,970 |
| 12. Colorado | $70,050 | $33.68 | $47,050 | $102,900 |
| 13. Maine | $68,690 | $33.02 | $46,280 | $94,320 |
| 14. Delaware | $68,630 | $33.00 | $46,650 | $98,420 |
| 15. New Jersey | $68,450 | $32.91 | $46,530 | $107,470 |
| 16. Hawaii | $66,020 | $31.74 | $48,070 | $100,340 |
| 17. Wyoming | $65,510 | $31.50 | $34,270 | $99,440 |
| 18. Connecticut | $65,310 | $31.40 | $43,320 | $111,940 |
| 19. Montana | $65,190 | $31.34 | $38,910 | $97,070 |
| 20. Ohio | $63,800 | $30.67 | $39,250 | $95,100 |
| 21. Maryland | $63,690 | $30.62 | $34,760 | $98,260 |
| 22. North Dakota | $62,680 | $30.13 | $37,300 | $83,920 |
| 23. Arizona | $62,530 | $30.06 | $40,520 | $99,560 |
| 24. Georgia | $62,180 | $29.89 | $37,970 | $101,020 |
| 25. Tennessee | $62,070 | $29.84 | $37,800 | $87,210 |
| 26. Kansas | $62,050 | $29.83 | $38,490 | $94,780 |
| 27. West Virginia | $61,810 | $29.72 | $37,240 | $88,470 |
| 28. Michigan | $61,260 | $29.45 | $37,560 | $91,280 |
| 29. Virginia | $61,050 | $29.35 | $38,910 | $96,080 |
| 30. Alaska | $60,950 | $29.30 | $44,550 | $109,080 |
| 31. South Dakota | $60,890 | $29.27 | $37,550 | $81,560 |
| 32. Kentucky | $60,880 | $29.27 | $37,800 | $88,750 |
| 33. Wisconsin | $60,670 | $29.17 | $46,350 | $84,980 |
| 34. North Carolina | $60,650 | $29.16 | $39,860 | $86,490 |
| 35. Nebraska | $60,540 | $29.11 | $38,090 | $85,610 |
| 36. Florida | $60,510 | $29.09 | $37,530 | $96,860 |
| 37. Missouri | $60,300 | $28.99 | $37,490 | $91,540 |
| 38. Texas | $59,290 | $28.50 | $38,330 | $94,830 |
| 39. Nevada | $57,320 | $27.56 | $40,390 | $103,890 |
| 40. Indiana | $57,080 | $27.44 | $38,910 | $87,470 |
| 41. South Carolina | $55,280 | $26.58 | $36,420 | $81,930 |
| 42. Louisiana | $54,460 | $26.18 | $33,140 | $84,720 |
| 43. Iowa | $54,260 | $26.09 | $38,790 | $79,660 |
| 44. Oklahoma | $53,300 | $25.63 | $35,780 | $83,970 |
| 45. Pennsylvania | $51,680 | $24.85 | $37,630 | $86,390 |
| 46. Mississippi | $50,640 | $24.35 | $33,760 | $81,200 |
| 47. Arkansas | $49,670 | $23.88 | $35,580 | $79,420 |
| 48. Alabama | $49,440 | $23.77 | $34,790 | $79,520 |
| 49. Utah | $49,090 | $23.60 | $38,220 | $86,080 |
| 50. Idaho | $47,450 | $22.81 | $38,130 | $92,280 |
| 51. New Mexico | $47,360 | $22.77 | $36,770 | $80,990 |
Highest-paying metro areas for lab technologists
The best-paying metro area for the clinical laboratory group is Kingston, NY, at a $103,180 median.[onet_lab]
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kingston, NY | $103,180 | $49.61 | $44,810 | $135,930 |
| 2. Binghamton, NY | $102,040 | $49.06 | $48,180 | $117,230 |
| 3. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $98,290 | $47.25 | $50,420 | $126,090 |
| 4. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $96,930 | $46.60 | $49,440 | $133,110 |
| 5. Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $96,290 | $46.29 | $51,950 | $120,520 |
| 6. Bend, OR | $90,270 | $43.40 | $52,280 | $112,200 |
| 7. Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $86,580 | $41.63 | $53,840 | $127,130 |
| 8. Vallejo, CA | $86,250 | $41.47 | $60,490 | $97,090 |
| 9. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $84,870 | $40.80 | $66,830 | $149,630 |
| 10. Albany, OR | $84,850 | $40.79 | $59,220 | $109,260 |
Histotech pay compared with other lab and clinic jobs
The clinical laboratory group earns $17,700 more than phlebotomists at the median ($62,930 against $45,230); phlebotomy is the usual short-training entry into the lab, covered on phlebotomist salary.[onet_phleb] Lab supervisors and directors who move into management are counted as medical and health services managers; see healthcare administration salary. Every career on this site is compared on the allied health careers overview.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a histotechnologist make?
BLS does not publish a separate figure. Histotechnologists are counted with clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, whose median is $62,930 (May 2025); certified technologists tend to be in the upper half.
Is a histologist the same as a histotechnologist?
In job searches, usually yes: "histologist" is commonly used for the histotechnologist who prepares tissue for pathologists. Histotechnicians do similar work at the technician level.
Do histotechnologists need a license?
In some states. New York requires a license to practice or use the title (fee $345). Elsewhere, check the state health department and what each employer requires.
Which state pays lab technologists the most?
New York ($97,280 median for the clinical laboratory group), then Oregon and New Hampshire.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-2011.04 Histotechnologists (BLS wage data for 29-2010 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians) (state and metro percentiles)
- Summary Report for 29-2011.04 Histotechnologists (sample job titles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and median wage, May 2025, SOC 43-6013, 29-2010 and 11-9111 (BLS Public Data API)
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- Licensure Requirements for Histotechnologists (fee $345; education routes incl. HTL(ASCP) and NAACLS programs)
- Local Wages: 31-9097.00 Phlebotomists (state and metro percentiles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)