Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
Also called: Medical laboratory aide, Medical laboratory helper, Medical laboratory assistant, Medical laboratory technician, Clinical laboratory technician, Laboratory assistant - medical, Medical laboratory technical assistant, Technical assistant - medical laboratory, Community health technician - medical laboratory, Phlebotomist, Phlebotomy aide, Renal technician
Medical laboratory assistants and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. They conduct routine medical laboratory tests and set up, clean and maintain medical laboratory equipment. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, post-secondary educational institutions and government research laboratories.
Main tasks
- Collect, label, sort and prepare blood, tissue and other samples from patients
- Log and validate patient samples and prepare them for testing
- Set up medical laboratory equipment
- Prepare chemical reagents to be combined with biological samples for testing
- Conduct routine laboratory tests and sample analyses
- Perform quality assurance of testing techniques and record results
- Clean and maintain medical laboratory and medical laboratory equipment
How to become one
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical workers require completion of a college certificate program in medical laboratory science. Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
Ways in
- College or CEGEP: College or CEGEP program. 55% of workers hold a college or other non-degree diploma (Census 2021). Common fields: Clinical/medical laboratory science/research and allied professions; Allied health and medical assisting services; Science technologies/technicians, general.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $52,650 a year The middle half earn $44,850 to $60,450.
- About 33,400 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 42,400 are projected by 2033. (+26.9%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: strong risk of shortage.
Related jobs
- Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services
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Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03