Medical Lab Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Medical Lab Director make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Medical Lab Director in the United States is $144,919 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $70.

However, a Medical Lab Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $171,470
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $132,679 to $158,817
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $121,535
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
AI Onboarding
View as table View as graph 25% $132,679 10% $121,535 90% $171,470 75% $158,817 $144,919 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Medical Lab Director Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $158,817 $13,235 $3,054 $76
Average $144,919 $12,077 $2,787 $70
25th Percentile $132,679 $11,057 $2,552 $64
Check out Medical Lab Director Job Openings in the United States
Medical Lab Technician Testing

Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

Medical Lab Assistant

Nationwide Childrens Hospital - Columbus, OH

Medical Technologist or Medical Lab Technician

Trinity Health - Columbus, OH

Medical Lab Technician Medical Technologist

OhioHealth - Columbus, OH

Search More Medical Lab Director Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Medical Lab Director Salaries

A Medical Lab Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Medical Lab Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Medical Lab Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $84,428
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $99,629
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $121,499
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $147,469
  • Expert (over 8 years): $172,811
Levels Salary
Laborator... Level Medical Lab Director$84,428
Laborator... Level Medical Lab Director$99,629
Laborator... Level Medical Lab Director$121,499
Medical L... Level Medical Lab Director$147,469
Laborator... Level Medical Lab Director$172,811
$84,428 0 yr
$99,629 < 2 yrs
$121,499 2-4 yrs
$147,469 5-8 yrs
$172,811 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Medical Lab Director Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Medical Lab Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $160,454.
  • California: $159,846.
  • Massachusetts: $157,715.

Top Paying Cities for Medical Lab Directors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $182,786
  • San Francisco: $180,785
  • Oakland: $176,975

What Skills Can Increase a Medical Lab Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 11.47% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Microbiology (Mentioned in 3.33% Job Postings): Microbiology (from Greek μῑκρος, mīkros, "small"; βίος, bios, "life"; and -λογία, -logia) is the study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, parasitology, mycology and bacteriology. Eukaryotic microorganisms possess membrane-bound cell organelles and include fungi and protists, whereas prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea. Microbiologists traditionally relied on culture, staining, and microscopy. However, less than 1% of the microorganisms present in common environments can be cultured in isolation using current means. Microbiologists often rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence based identification, for example 16s rRNA gene sequence used for bacteria identification.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.33% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 11.47%
Microbiology 3.33%
Acute Care 2.33%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Medical Lab Director's salary.
  • Team Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Team Management
$159,411
10%
Innovation
$153,614
6%
Continuous Improvement
$152,165
5%
Quality Management
$152,165
5%
Consulting
$152,165
5%
Collaboration
$152,165
5%
Get Latest Data

Medical Lab Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Medical Lab Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Medical Lab Director positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Medical Lab Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Medical Lab Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$181,149$87.025%
Financial Services$173,903$84.020%
Aerospace & Defense$159,411$77.010%
Energy & Utilities$159,411$77.010%
Insurance$159,411$77.010%

How Education impacts a Medical Lab Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Medical Lab Directors enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Medical Lab Director with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $140,319 and $151,150).

Medical Lab Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Medical Lab Director
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 0.7%
Associates 1.5%
Bachelors 35.1%
Masters 49.3%
Doctorate 13.4%
view as graph

Medical Lab Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Medical Lab Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Medical Lab Director

Salaries for a Medical Lab Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $161,318 in 2023 to around $158,604 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Medical Lab Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Medical Lab Director Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$161,318
2024
$160,125
2025
$158,604
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $161,318
2024 $160,125
2025 $158,604
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Medical Lab Director

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Medical Lab Director

Here are companies hiring for Medical Lab Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Medical Lab Director Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Medical Lab Director job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • NurseRecruiter, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    NurseRecruiter, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Medical Director Opportunity. Our client is a leader in the healthcare industry, committed to providing high-quality medical care tailored to the unique ne... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Humana

    Columbus, OH

    Humana | Columbus, OH

    Become a part of our caring community and help us put health firstThe Behavioral Health Medical Director is responsible for behavioral health care strategi... more

    7 Days Ago

  • She Recruits LLC

    Columbus, OH

    She Recruits LLC | Columbus, OH

    Job Title: Medical Director - Outpatient ClinicLocation: Columbus, OHSalary: $285k-350kWe are seeking a Medical Director for an outpatient clinic to utiliz... more

    7 Days Ago

  • The Recovery Village

    Columbus, OH

    The Recovery Village | Columbus, OH

    Medical Director- Psychiatrist. We are seeking a Medical Director- Psychiatrist to join our team. Be a part of our facility & make a difference in dual dia... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Ohio State University

    Columbus, OH

    Ohio State University | Columbus, OH

    Medical Technologist/Med Lab Tech-Testing-Critical Care Laboratory. The Critical Care Laboratory provides comprehensive, time sensitive laboratory services... more

    6 Days Ago

  • K.A. Recruiting

    Columbus, OH

    K.A. Recruiting | Columbus, OH

    URGENT Openings For Mt/Mlt In The Columbus, Ohio Area. The facility is offering a. sign on bonus. Medical Technologist/Medical Lab Tech. ASCP. required. un... more

    8 Days Ago

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

FAQ about Medical Lab Director

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Medical Lab Director?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Medical Lab Director roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst