Hospital Laboratory Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Hospital Laboratory Director make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Hospital Laboratory Director in the United States is $141,914 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $68.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $168,324
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $130,066 to $155,738
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $119,279
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
AI-Powered Talent
View as table View as graph 25% $130,066 10% $119,279 90% $168,324 75% $155,738 $141,914 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Hospital Laboratory Director Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $155,738 $12,978 $2,995 $75
Average $141,914 $11,826 $2,729 $68
25th Percentile $130,066 $10,839 $2,501 $63
Check out Hospital Laboratory Director Job Openings in the United States
Chief AI Officer

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Associate Vice President Internal Communications

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Vice President Credit Risk Strategy&Data Science

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Regional Truck Driver Company

KreilKamp Trucking - Columbus, OH

Search More Hospital Laboratory Director Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Hospital Laboratory Director Salaries

A Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Hospital Laboratory 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): $81,719
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $96,432
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $117,600
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $142,737
  • Expert (over 8 years): $167,265
Levels Salary
Laborator... Level Hospital Laboratory Director$81,719
Laborator... Level Hospital Laboratory Director$96,432
Laborator... Level Hospital Laboratory Director$117,600
Hospital ... Level Hospital Laboratory Director$142,737
Laborator... Level Hospital Laboratory Director$167,265
$81,719 0 yr
$96,432 < 2 yrs
$117,600 2-4 yrs
$142,737 5-8 yrs
$167,265 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $157,127.
  • California: $156,531.
  • Massachusetts: $154,445.

Top Paying Cities for Hospital Laboratory 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: $178,996
  • San Francisco: $177,036
  • Oakland: $173,305

What Skills Can Increase a Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory 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
$156,105
10%
Innovation
$150,429
6%
Continuous Improvement
$149,010
5%
Quality Management
$149,010
5%
Consulting
$149,010
5%
Collaboration
$149,010
5%
Get Latest Data

Hospital Laboratory Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Hospital Laboratory 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, Hospital Laboratory Director positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Hospital Laboratory Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Hospital Laboratory Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$177,392$85.025%
Financial Services$170,297$82.020%
Aerospace & Defense$156,105$75.010%
Energy & Utilities$156,105$75.010%
Insurance$156,105$75.010%

How Education impacts a Hospital Laboratory Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory Director with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $140,319 and $151,150).

Hospital Laboratory Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Hospital Laboratory 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

Hospital Laboratory Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory Director

Salaries for a Hospital Laboratory Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $156,141 in 2023 to around $153,514 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Hospital Laboratory Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Hospital Laboratory Director Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$156,141
2024
$154,986
2025
$153,514
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $156,141
2024 $154,986
2025 $153,514
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Hospital Laboratory 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 Hospital Laboratory Director

Here are companies hiring for Hospital Laboratory Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Hospital Laboratory Director Job

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

United States
  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Payments Engineering. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of corporate payment solutions. Industry. Financial Services. Type. P... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Vice President of Project Delivery. About the Company. A multi-billion-dollar construction organization with collaborative, servant-minded leadershi... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Chief of Staff. About the Company. Innovative travel platform for booking & managing work trips. Industry. Computer Software. Type. Privately Held, VC-back... more

    21 Days Ago

  • McDonalds

    Columbus, OH

    McDonalds | Columbus, OH

    McDonald’s is seeking Crew Team Members to assist with daily restaurant operations including customer service, food preparation, and maintaining restaurant... more

    28 Days Ago

  • Amazon Flex

    Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex | Columbus, OH

    Amazon Flex Delivery Drivers use their own vehicle to deliver Amazon packages to customers on scheduled delivery blocks. Drivers are responsible for pickin... more

    28 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Commercial. About the Company. Globally-recognized manufacturer of packaging components & delivery systems for injectable drugs. Industry. ... more

    1 Month 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 Hospital Laboratory Director

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Hospital Laboratory Director?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Hospital Laboratory 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