What are the main factors that influence a SHO's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A SHO's salary?

A SHO's salary grows with experience: a Laboratory Support Technician I (0-1 years)earns $45,689, a SHO (1-3 years)earns $52,815, a Laboratory Support Technician III (3-5 years)earns $72,555, a Laboratory Support Technician IV (5-7 years)earns $85,644, a Laboratory Supervisor (7+ years)earns $85,133,

What are the highest paying states for a SHO?

SHO salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for SHO roles are District of Columbia $58,850, California $58,627, Massachusetts $57,845. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How do different companies affect a SHO's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for SHO roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

SHO Salary in the United States

How much does a SHO make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a SHO in the United States is $53,152 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,917
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,377 to $57,740
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,939

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SHO Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,740	$4,812	$1,110	$28
Average	$53,152	$4,429	$1,022	$26
25th Percentile	$49,377	$4,115	$950	$24

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Key Factors That Influence SHO Salaries

A SHO'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects SHO Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a SHO'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): $45,689
Early Career (1-2 years): $52,815
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $72,555
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $85,644
Expert (over 8 years): $85,133

Levels	Salary
Laborator... Level SHO	$45,689
SHO Level SHO	$52,815
Laborator... Level SHO	$72,555
Laborator... Level SHO	$85,644
Laborator... Level SHO	$85,133

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What Am I Worth?

How Do SHO 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 SHOs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $58,850.
California: $58,627.
Massachusetts: $57,845.

District of Columbia $58,850 California $58,627 Massachusetts $57,845 Washington $57,633 New Jersey $57,611 Alaska $57,537 Connecticut $56,804 New York $56,506

Hawaii $55,554 Rhode Island $55,108 Maryland $54,805 Minnesota $54,390 Colorado $54,231 Illinois $54,178 Oregon $53,976 Delaware $53,827

New Hampshire $53,733 Virginia $53,524 Pennsylvania $52,913 Nevada $52,605 North Dakota $52,504 Michigan $52,344 Wisconsin $52,286 Vermont $52,169

Texas $51,844 Maine $51,823 Arizona $51,791 Ohio $51,754 Georgia $51,265 Indiana $51,021 Wyoming $50,973 Utah $50,898

Iowa $50,866 Kansas $50,611 Louisiana $50,537 North Carolina $50,510 Missouri $50,500 Florida $50,292 Montana $50,181 Nebraska $50,074

Kentucky $50,016 South Carolina $49,803 Tennessee $49,671 Idaho $49,617 New Mexico $49,229 Oklahoma $49,144 Alabama $48,831 South Dakota $48,305

Arkansas $48,018 West Virginia $47,863 Mississippi $47,401

Top Paying Cities for SHOs

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: $67,041
San Francisco: $66,382
Oakland: $64,909

San Jose, CA $67,041

San Francisco, CA $66,382

Oakland, CA $64,909

New York, NY $61,598

Queens Village, NY $61,199

Paramus, NJ $60,774

Passaic, NJ $60,721

Bergenfield, NJ $60,668

Stamford, CT $60,588

Huntington, NY $60,535

Newark, NJ $60,189

Bridgeport, CT $60,083

New Brunswick, NJ $59,908

Vallejo, CA $59,796

Middlesex, NJ $59,764

Somerset, NJ $59,716

Petaluma, CA $59,594

Santa Cruz, CA $59,387

Boston, MA $59,280

Monterey, CA $59,015

Fairbanks, AK $58,977

Los Angeles, CA $58,876

Washington, DC $58,850

Seattle, WA $58,754

Santa Rosa, CA $58,744

Juneau, AK $58,589

Orange, CA $58,414

Anchorage, AK $58,318

Anaheim, CA $58,281

Santa Ana, CA $58,201

Nassau, NY $58,170

Long Beach, CA $58,148

Danbury, CT $58,132

Santa Maria, CA $57,952

Everett, WA $57,941

Bremerton, WA $57,681

Trenton, NJ $57,580

Sacramento, CA $57,558

San Diego, CA $57,532

Brockton, MA $57,510

Tacoma, WA $57,489

Santa Barbara, CA $57,415

Lowell, MA $57,202

New Suffolk, NY $57,181

Nashua, NH $57,117

Lompoc, CA $57,032

Ventura, CA $56,979

Stockton, CA $56,963

New Haven, CT $56,857

Atlantic City, NJ $56,718

Hartford, CT $56,602

Modesto, CA $56,575

Poughkeepsie, NY $56,458

New Britain, CT $56,431

Olympia, WA $56,357

Kennewick, WA $56,357

New London, CT $56,346

Norwich, CT $56,330

Lawrence, MA $56,304

Bakersfield, CA $56,155

Riverside, CA $56,081

New Bedford, MA $56,081

Richland, WA $56,028

Portsmouth, NH $55,985

Vineland, NJ $55,974

San Bernardino, CA $55,932

Boulder, CO $55,783

Worcester, MA $55,741

Portland, OR $55,693

Saint Paul, MN $55,629

Minneapolis, MN $55,629

Philadelphia, PA $55,554

Honolulu, HI $55,273

Springfield, MA $55,087

Providence, RI $55,081

Chicago, IL $54,927

Bellingham, WA $54,863

Baltimore, MD $54,805

Chico, CA $54,672

Wilmington, DE $54,582

Pittsfield, MA $54,529

Manchester, NH $54,428

Spokane, WA $54,194

Denver, CO $54,188

Albany, NY $53,939

Troy, NY $53,917

Schenectady, NY $53,806

Burlington, VT $53,689

Portland, ME $53,503

Salem, OR $53,460

Yakima, WA $53,450

Ann Arbor, MI $53,434

Rochester, MN $53,285

Fresno, CA $53,258

Reno, NV $53,258

Milwaukee, WI $53,210

Detroit, MI $53,157

Allentown, PA $53,141

Carson City, NV $53,136

Houston, TX $53,056

Colorado Springs, CO $53,051

Syracuse, NY $53,024

Eugene, OR $52,923

Bismarck, ND $52,860

Gary, IN $52,860

Galveston, TX $52,860

Springfield, OR $52,817

Medford, OR $52,690

Fort Collins, CO $52,668

Austin, TX $52,626

Mesa, AZ $52,514

Phoenix, AZ $52,504

Dallas, TX $52,488

Reading, PA $52,456

Saint Cloud, MN $52,434

Concord, NH $52,387

Madison, WI $52,365

Utica, NY $52,222

Raleigh, NC $52,179

Las Vegas, NV $52,174

Rochester, NY $52,137

Des Moines, IA $52,131

Atlanta, GA $52,046

Battle Creek, MI $52,030

Salt Lake City, UT $52,015

Lancaster, PA $51,935

Champaign, IL $51,924

Harrisburg, PA $51,860

Durham, NC $51,813

Kansas City, MO $51,807

Kansas City, KS $51,797

Fort Worth, TX $51,791

Boca Raton, FL $51,770

Cleveland, OH $51,765

Columbus, OH $51,754

Pittsburgh, PA $51,749

Richmond, VA $51,728

Indianapolis, IN $51,717

Cincinnati, OH $51,648

Petersburg, VA $51,568

Billings, MT $51,451

Lansing, MI $51,451

Huntsville, AL $51,451

Lebanon, PA $51,446

Dayton, OH $51,441

Pueblo, CO $51,441

Appleton, WI $51,425

Buffalo, NY $51,403

Racine, WI $51,377

Charlotte, NC $51,371

Saint Louis, MO $51,355

Springfield, IL $51,334

Elkhart, IN $51,324

York, PA $51,324

Gastonia, NC $51,318

Benton Harbor, MI $51,318

Beaumont, TX $51,286

Lorain, OH $51,276

Toledo, OH $51,254

Binghamton, NY $51,228

Rock Hill, SC $51,223

Rockford, IL $51,196

Fargo, ND $51,169

Elyria, OH $51,169

Flagstaff, AZ $51,132

Fort Lauderdale, FL $51,100

Miami, FL $51,068

Duluth, MN $50,983

Bangor, ME $50,914

Cedar Rapids, IA $50,856

Louisville, KY $50,829

Grand Rapids, MI $50,819

Hialeah, FL $50,813

Casper, WY $50,739

Scranton, PA $50,675

New Orleans, LA $50,659

Virginia Beach, VA $50,654

Akron, OH $50,627

Peoria, IL $50,558

Sarasota, FL $50,548

Green Bay, WI $50,510

Baton Rouge, LA $50,484

Charleston, SC $50,473

Nashville, TN $50,457

Jamestown, NY $50,447

Davenport, IA $50,447

Tucson, AZ $50,420

Cheyenne, WY $50,404

Saint Petersburg, FL $50,388

Tampa, FL $50,377

Omaha, NE $50,367

Port Arthur, TX $50,346

Evansville, IN $50,346

Bradenton, FL $50,324

Santa Fe, NM $50,229

Orlando, FL $50,175

Clearwater, FL $50,117

Canton, OH $50,005

La Crosse, WI $50,005

Grand Forks, ND $49,989

Albuquerque, NM $49,974

Tulsa, OK $49,974

Newport News, VA $49,968

High Point, NC $49,952

Ogden, UT $49,931

Corpus Christi, TX $49,888

Laramie, WY $49,857

Norfolk, VA $49,857

Rock Island, IL $49,825

Saginaw, MI $49,814

Jacksonville, FL $49,809

Salisbury, NC $49,798

Memphis, TN $49,787

Moline, IL $49,761

Fort Myers, FL $49,745

Waterloo, IA $49,676

Spartanburg, SC $49,623

Lincoln, NE $49,596

Fort Wayne, IN $49,586

Birmingham, AL $49,527

Cedar Falls, IA $49,516

Provo, UT $49,511

Springfield, OH $49,506

San Antonio, TX $49,495

Greensboro, NC $49,474

South Bend, IN $49,469

Winston Salem, NC $49,463

Boise, ID $49,447

Savannah, GA $49,410

Muskegon, MI $49,314

Lima, OH $49,251

Lake Charles, LA $49,229

Anderson, IN $49,219

Lexington, KY $49,203

Augusta, GA $49,187

Greenville, SC $49,187

Wichita, KS $49,139

Tuscaloosa, AL $49,139

Columbia, SC $49,091

Bloomington, IN $48,958

Roanoke, VA $48,926

Asheville, NC $48,857

Knoxville, TN $48,767

Shreveport, LA $48,762

Wilmington, NC $48,693

Frankfort, KY $48,592

Oklahoma City, OK $48,554

Chillicothe, OH $48,533

Longview, TX $48,528

Topeka, KS $48,512

Mobile, AL $48,432

Terre Haute, IN $48,411

Erie, PA $48,406

Altoona, PA $48,379

Melbourne, FL $48,363

Amarillo, TX $48,342

Killeen, TX $48,326

Fayetteville, AR $48,283

Sioux Falls, SD $48,246

Chattanooga, TN $48,214

Idaho Falls, ID $48,209

Gainesville, FL $48,097

Portsmouth, OH $48,071

Little Rock, AR $48,060

Lynchburg, VA $48,060

Lafayette, LA $48,039

Youngstown, OH $48,039

Temple, TX $48,018

Daytona Beach, FL $48,007

Clarksville, TN $48,002

Pensacola, FL $47,996

Hopkinsville, KY $47,837

Charleston, WV $47,831

Florence, SC $47,805

Sioux City, IA $47,773

Macon, GA $47,619

Tallahassee, FL $47,614

Fayetteville, NC $47,603

Waco, TX $47,592

Wichita Falls, TX $47,592

Pine Bluff, AR $47,571

Vincennes, IN $47,470

Lubbock, TX $47,449

Great Falls, MT $47,417

Alamogordo, NM $47,412

Abilene, TX $47,369

Rapid City, SD $47,300

Monroe, LA $47,300

Albany, GA $47,268

Huntington, WV $47,263

Jackson, MS $47,257

Greenville, MS $47,252

Parkersburg, WV $47,199

Montgomery, AL $47,188

Johnstown, PA $47,178

Springfield, MO $47,135

Biloxi, MS $47,109

Sumter, SC $46,997

Columbus, GA $46,992

Twin Falls, ID $46,960

Pascagoula, MS $46,891

Kingsport, TN $46,752

Gulfport, MS $46,737

Alexandria, LA $46,561

Fort Smith, AR $46,428

El Paso, TX $46,285

Helena, MT $46,216

Las Cruces, NM $46,046

Harlingen, TX $45,897

Pocatello, ID $45,849

Florence, AL $45,833

Brownsville, TX $45,822

Dothan, AL $45,737

Mcallen, TX $45,711

Columbus, MS $45,317

Altus, OK $45,073

Lawton, OK $44,972

Pierre, SD $44,781

What Skills Can Increase a SHO's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 9.43% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Phlebotomy (Mentioned in 3.41% Job Postings): Phlebotomy is the process of making a puncture in a vein, usually in the arm, with a cannula for the purpose of drawing blood.
Medical Laboratory (Mentioned in 1.98% Job Postings): Testing and analyzing medical and clinical specimens to help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	9.43%
Phlebotomy	3.41%
Medical Laboratory	1.98%

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 SHO's salary.

Clinical Diagnostic: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Product Testing: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Clinical Diagnostic	$58,467	10%
Collaboration	$56,873	7%
Product Testing	$56,341	6%
Molecular Biology	$55,278	4%
Oral Communication	$55,278	4%
Leadership	$55,278	4%

Get Latest Data

SHO Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a SHO'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 April 01, 2026

$49,377

Average $53,152/year

$57,740

$4,115

Average $4,429/month

$4,812

$950

Average $1,022/week

$1,110

$24

Average $26/hour

$28

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,740	$4,812	$1,110	$28
Average	$53,152	$4,429	$1,022	$26
25th Percentile	$49,377	$4,115	$950	$24

Salary Trends for SHO

Salaries for a SHO can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $43,797 in 2023 to around $43,178 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of SHO salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of SHO Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$43,797

2024

$43,648

2025

$43,178

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$43,797
2024	$43,648
2025	$43,178
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for SHO

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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.)

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