Medical laboratory technologists

NOC

32120

conduct medical laboratory tests and procedures to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of disease.

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Full NOC Description

Medical laboratory technologists conduct medical laboratory tests, experiments and analyses to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of disease. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, blood banks, community and private clinics, research facilities and post-secondary educational institutions. Medical laboratory technologists who are supervisors are included in this unit group.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Set up, operate and maintain laboratory equipment

Conduct and interpret chemical analyses of blood, urine, and cerebrospinal and other body fluids

Study blood cells and other tissues to determine their relation to various physiological and pathological conditions

Prepare tissue sections for microscopic examinations using techniques to demonstrate special cellular tissue elements or other characteristics

Perform and interpret blood group, type and compatibility tests for transfusion purposes

Validate, document and report test results

Establish procedures for the analysis of specimens and for medical laboratory experiments

Conduct quality control assessment of testing techniques

May supervise and train other medical laboratory technical staff, students and helpers

May assist pathologists during autopsies.

Medical laboratory technologists may specialize in areas such as clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology, histotechnology, transfusion medicine or immunohematology, cytotechnology, cytogenetics and molecular genetics.

Also Known As

clinical genetics technologist
cytogenetics technologist - medical laboratory
histology technologist
medical laboratory cytotechnologist
medical laboratory technologist

medical laboratory technologists supervisor

Requirements

Employment Requirements

A two- or three-year college program in medical laboratory technology is required and a period of supervised practical training may be required.

Registration with a regulatory body is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.

Combined laboratory and X-ray technicians require completion of a combined laboratory X-ray technology program.

Some employers may require a university science degree for specialized medical laboratory technologists.

Provincial Regulation

Provincially Regulated: Yes

Regulation Body

New Brunswick Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists (NBSMLT)

Employment by Sex

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

85.0%

Female

15.0%

Male

Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

3.8%

15-24

34.3%

25-34

26.7%

35-44

14.3%

45-54

18.1%

55-64

2.9%

65+

Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

0.0%

No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

0.0%

High School, Diploma or Equivalent

0.0%

Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

0.0%

College or University Below Bachelor Level

48.6%

University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

95.3%

Health care and social assistance

N/A

4.7%

All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

16.80%

Northeast

26.20%

Southeast

28.00%

Southwest

22.40%

Central

6.50%

Northwest

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$72,000

Northeast

$88,000

Southeast

$75,000

Southwest

$76,000

Central

$100,000

Northwest

Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Occupational Profiles