Overview
Medical laboratory assistants and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. They conduct routine medical laboratory tests and set up, clean and maintain medical laboratory equipment. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, post-secondary educational institutions and government research laboratories.
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Collect, label, sort and prepare blood, tissue and other samples from patients
Log and validate patient samples and prepare them for testing
Set up medical laboratory equipment
Prepare chemical reagents to be combined with biological samples for testing
Conduct routine laboratory tests and sample analyses
Perform quality assurance of testing techniques and record results
Clean and maintain medical laboratory and medical laboratory equipment.
Employment prospects
Annual salary
$45,883
$53,204
$68,762
Job openings
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Strong job outlook
British Columbia
740expected job openings (5-year forecast)
Education and training
Employment requirements
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical workers require completion of a college certificate program in medical laboratory science.
Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
Additional information
Some employers may require medical laboratory technicians to have a diploma.
Medical laboratory technicians may progress to supervisory or technologist positions with a combination of additional education, training and experience.
Certification requirements
Optional: The following certification are optional to practice as Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations in B.C.
- Medical Lab Assistant Certification through the British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science
Medical Lab Assistant Certification through the British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science
Confirm with the certifying body that your intended program qualifies you for this certification.
To work as a medical lab assistant in B.C., you may choose to register with the British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science. Eligibility is achieved by completing a program from an accredited institution and successfully writing the MLA certification exam through the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science.
Post-secondary programs in B.C.
Explore programs related to this career offered at post-secondary institutions in B.C.