Clinical Laboratory Director Salary in the United States

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

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Clinical Laboratory Director in the United States is $150,207 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $72.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $180,614
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $138,556 to $166,123
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $127,948
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View as table View as graph 25% $138,556 10% $127,948 90% $180,614 75% $166,123 $150,207 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Clinical Laboratory Director Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $166,123 $13,844 $3,195 $80
Average $150,207 $12,517 $2,889 $72
25th Percentile $138,556 $11,546 $2,665 $67
Check out Clinical Laboratory Director Job Openings in the United States
Clinical Director

Nex Level Behavioral Health & Addiction Services, LLC - Columbus, OH

Clinical Director

Jordan And Associates Consulting - Columbus, OH

Assistant Director Clinical Pharmacy

Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

Center Clinical Director Associate

ChenMed - Columbus, OH

Search More Clinical Laboratory Director Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Clinical Laboratory Director Salaries

A Clinical 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 Clinical Laboratory Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Clinical 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): $85,326
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $100,689
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $122,790
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $149,037
  • Expert (over 8 years): $174,648
Levels Salary
Laborator... Level Clinical Laboratory Director$85,326
Laborator... Level Clinical Laboratory Director$100,689
Laborator... Level Clinical Laboratory Director$122,790
Clinical ... Level Clinical Laboratory Director$149,037
Laborator... Level Clinical Laboratory Director$174,648
$85,326 0 yr
$100,689 < 2 yrs
$122,790 2-4 yrs
$149,037 5-8 yrs
$174,648 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Clinical 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: $189,456
  • San Francisco: $187,382
  • Oakland: $183,433

What Skills Can Increase a Clinical 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 Clinical 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
$165,228
10%
Innovation
$159,219
6%
Continuous Improvement
$157,717
5%
Quality Management
$157,717
5%
Consulting
$157,717
5%
Collaboration
$157,717
5%
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Clinical Laboratory Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

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

The top paying industries for a Clinical Laboratory Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$187,759$90.025%
Financial Services$180,248$87.020%
Aerospace & Defense$165,228$79.010%
Energy & Utilities$165,228$79.010%
Insurance$165,228$79.010%

How Education impacts a Clinical Laboratory Director's Salary?

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

Clinical Laboratory Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Clinical 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%
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Clinical Laboratory Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Clinical 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 Clinical Laboratory Director

Salaries for a Clinical Laboratory Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $163,033 in 2023 to around $160,290 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Clinical Laboratory Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Clinical Laboratory Director Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$163,033
2024
$161,827
2025
$160,290
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $163,033
2024 $161,827
2025 $160,290
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Clinical Laboratory Director

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Clinical Laboratory Director

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

Find Your Next Clinical Laboratory Director Job

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

United States
  • Compassus

    Columbus, OH

    Compassus | Columbus, OH

    Hospice Director Clinical Services (Registered Nurse/RN). Company: OhioHealth at Home in partnership with Compassus. At OhioHealth at Home in Partnership w... more

    4 Days Ago

  • Optigy Group

    Columbus, OH

    Optigy Group | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Center Clinical Medical Director Primary Care Outpatient Columbus, OH. COMPENSATION: $280-$300k base + Bonus and Partners... more

    4 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development (Medical Monitoring). About the Company. Rapidly growing organization in the oncology & hematology industry. ... more

    6 Days Ago

  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Emergency Medicine Physician Needed near Columbus, Ohio. An excellent opportunity for a full-time EM Physician to join an Emergency Department team near Co... more

    2 Days Ago

  • Continuum Medical Staffing

    Columbus, OH

    Continuum Medical Staffing | Columbus, OH

    PSYCHIATRIST- CHILD/ADOLESCENT COLUMBUS OHIO We are seeking a Board-Certified Child/ Adolescent Psychiatrist for a permanent position in Columbus Ohio No V... more

    3 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. \n. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full ... more

    15 Days Ago

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FAQ about Clinical Laboratory Director

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

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Clinical 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.

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