Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May train or supervise staff.
$62,930 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 36%
- 0%
- 64%
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, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 15%. Today's estimate: 17%.
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 . 15 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop, standardize, evaluate, or modify procedures, techniques, or tests used in the analysis of specimens or in medical laboratory experiments.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 18% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Analyze samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 11% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Conduct chemical analysis of body fluids, including blood, urine, or spinal fluid, to determine presence of normal or abnormal components.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Collect and study blood samples to determine the number of cells, their morphology, or their blood group, blood type, or compatibility for transfusion purposes, using microscopic techniques.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Establish or monitor quality assurance programs or activities to ensure the accuracy of laboratory results.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now | |
| Cultivate, isolate, or assist in identifying microbial organisms or perform various tests on these microorganisms.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Analyze laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 7% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Supervise, train, or direct lab assistants, medical and clinical laboratory technicians or technologists, or other medical laboratory workers engaged in laboratory testing.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Operate, calibrate, or maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, or computer-controlled analyzers.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Set up, clean, and maintain laboratory equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Select and prepare specimens and media for cell cultures, using aseptic technique and knowledge of medium components and cell requirements.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 42 min21 min to 1.4 h | Stays with people | |
| Obtain, cut, stain, and mount biological material on slides for microscopic study and diagnosis, following standard laboratory procedures.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 3% | 33 min17 min to 1.1 h | Stays with people |
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.