Cytotechnologists
Stain, mount, and study cells to detect evidence of cancer, hormonal abnormalities, and other pathological conditions following established standards and practices.
$62,930 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 28%
- 0%
- 72%
Anthropic's data does not cover this job.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 8%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 26%. Today's estimate: 26%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 13 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare and analyze samples, such as Papanicolaou (PAP) smear body fluids and fine needle aspirations (FNAs), to detect abnormal conditions.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 28% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain effective laboratory operations by adhering to standards of specimen collection, preparation, or laboratory safety.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 14% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Examine specimens, using microscopes, to evaluate specimen quality.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Provide patient clinical data or microscopic findings to assist pathologists in the preparation of pathology reports.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 8% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Assist pathologists or other physicians to collect cell samples by fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy or other method.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Examine cell samples to detect abnormalities in the color, shape, or size of cellular components and patterns.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 7% | 8 min4 min to 21 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Assign tasks or coordinate task assignments to ensure adequate performance of laboratory activities.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | 100%Half by now | |
| Prepare cell samples by applying special staining techniques, such as chromosomal staining, to differentiate cells or cell components.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Adjust, maintain, or repair laboratory equipment, such as microscopes.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Submit slides with abnormal cell structures to pathologists for further examination.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 4% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Stays with people | |
| Document specimens by verifying patients' and specimens' information.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 3% | 4 min2 min to 10 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Examine specimens to detect abnormal hormone conditions.Done yearly or less by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 2% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | 100%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.