Clinical Lab Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Clinical Lab Specialist make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Clinical Lab Specialist in the United States is $60,521 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,993
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,442 to $69,143
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,086
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
Recruit with AI
AI-Powered Talent
View as table View as graph 25% $52,442 10% $45,086 90% $76,993 75% $69,143 $60,521 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Clinical Lab Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $69,143 $5,762 $1,330 $33
Average $60,521 $5,043 $1,164 $29
25th Percentile $52,442 $4,370 $1,009 $25
Check out Clinical Lab Specialist Job Openings in the United States
Clinical Dietitian Specialist Adult Acute Care

University Hospitals - Cleveland, OH

Clinical Sales Specialist

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals - Dayton, OH

Clinical Lab Manager

Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom - Cleveland, OH

Pharmacy Clinical Specialist

Cleveland Clinic - Beachwood, OH

Search More Clinical Lab Specialist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Clinical Lab Specialist Salaries

A Clinical Lab Specialist'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 Clinical Lab Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Clinical Lab Specialist'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): $61,082
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $82,286
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $97,104
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $118,396
  • Expert (over 8 years): $143,712
Levels Salary
Clinical ... Level Clinical Lab Specialist$61,082
Laborator... Level Clinical Lab Specialist$82,286
Laborator... Level Clinical Lab Specialist$97,104
Laborator... Level Clinical Lab Specialist$118,396
Laborator... Level Clinical Lab Specialist$143,712
$61,082 0 yr
$82,286 < 2 yrs
$97,104 2-4 yrs
$118,396 5-8 yrs
$143,712 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Clinical Lab Specialists

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: $76,335
  • San Francisco: $75,500
  • Oakland: $73,908

What Skills Can Increase a Clinical Lab Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 4.51% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.56% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Pathology (Mentioned in 2.16% Job Postings): Analyzing and reviewing the cause, origin, and nature of diseases and illnesses to provide appropriate diagnosis and treatment plans.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 4.51%
Microsoft Office 2.56%
Pathology 2.16%
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 Clinical Lab Specialist's salary.
  • Pathology: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Quality Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Inventory Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Pathology
$65,968
9%
Quality Management
$64,758
7%
Inventory Management
$64,758
7%
Leadership
$64,758
7%
Collaboration
$64,152
6%
Project Management
$64,152
6%
Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Clinical Lab Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Clinical Lab Specialists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Clinical Lab Specialist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $57,937 and $61,817).

Clinical Lab Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Clinical Lab Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 9.2%
High School 9.2%
Associates 7.9%
Bachelors 50.0%
Masters 26.3%
Doctorate 5.3%
view as graph

Clinical Lab Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Clinical Lab Specialist'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 May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Clinical Lab Specialist

Salaries for a Clinical Lab Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,647 in 2023 to around $63,331 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Clinical Lab Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Clinical Lab Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$63,647
2024
$63,534
2025
$63,331
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $63,647
2024 $63,534
2025 $63,331
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Clinical Lab Specialist

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 Clinical Lab Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Clinical Lab Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Clinical Lab Specialist Job

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

United States
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.

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