The median Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary is $52.00 per hour, or $108,160 per year, based on 1,190 job postings across 84 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$52.00
Median hourly
$108,160
Annual salary
$20-$73
Pay range
84
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Clinical Laboratory Scientist earns $52.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $37.50 and $62.00/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -17.1% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Salinas, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Glen Cove, NEW YORK sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-17.1%
Current median: $46.00/hr
Prior period: $55.50/hr
Job openings
+102.7%
448 recent postings
Previous period: 221 postings
Daily pay signal
$43.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Clinical Laboratory Scientist postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $55.50/hr to $46.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$19.95
$41,496/yr
Median
$52.00
$108,160/yr
Top earners
$72.50
$150,800/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $46.00/hr | 426 |
Mar 2026 | $55.00/hr | 243 |
Feb 2026 | $52.00/hr | 134 |
Jan 2026 | $57.00/hr | 150 |
Dec 2025 | $51.00/hr | 119 |
Nov 2025 | $52.75/hr | 118 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$51.22
—
Estimated from national data
~$49.26
—
Estimated from national data
~$39.33
—
Estimated from national data
~$52.11
—
468 postings · 137 companies
$60.75
$54-$68
11 postings · 2 companies
$52.00
$49-$54
9 postings · 7 companies
$70.58
$69-$75
Estimated from national data
~$50.86
—
Estimated from national data
~$48.99
—
Estimated from national data
~$48.23
—
22 postings · 5 companies
$44.00
$38-$46
Estimated from national data
~$49.68
—
Estimated from national data
~$46.27
—
21 postings · 7 companies
$34.00
$31-$38
Estimated from national data
~$40.31
—
Estimated from national data
~$50.94
—
Estimated from national data
~$52.26
—
Estimated from national data
~$52.35
—
5 postings · 2 companies
$36.00
$13-$36
Estimated from national data
~$52.19
—
17 postings · 1 companies
$49.00
$49-$49
8 postings · 8 companies
$59.74
$53-$64
17 postings · 7 companies
$42.00
$32-$46
11 postings · 5 companies
$32.00
$32-$41
Estimated from national data
~$44.08
—
Estimated from national data
~$46.01
—
16 postings · 4 companies
$55.00
$52-$57
5 postings · 1 companies
$36.00
$36-$36
10 postings · 6 companies
$45.00
$45-$61
Estimated from national data
~$50.81
—
13 postings · 5 companies
$35.00
$33-$46
Estimated from national data
~$41.78
—
112 postings · 14 companies
$18.00
$18-$20
Estimated from national data
~$41.58
—
Estimated from national data
~$48.40
—
8 postings · 3 companies
$37.00
$31-$56
5 postings · 2 companies
$43.00
$41-$43
Estimated from national data
~$41.29
—
6 postings · 5 companies
$80.50
$73-$81
Estimated from national data
~$44.91
—
Estimated from national data
~$43.60
—
Estimated from national data
~$45.57
—
Estimated from national data
~$42.34
—
18 postings · 5 companies
$39.50
$38-$42
Estimated from national data
~$46.08
—
Estimated from national data
~$43.01
—
Estimated from national data
~$46.54
—
16 postings · 7 companies
$48.00
$47-$56
Estimated from national data
~$49.42
—
Estimated from national data
~$45.79
—
Estimated from national data
~$50.91
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Clinical Laboratory Scientist salaries.
Salinas
California · 17 postings
$75.38/hr
San Francisco
California · 16 postings
$73.11/hr
Orange
California · 10 postings
$66.50/hr
Los Angeles
California · 32 postings
$64.50/hr
Long Beach
California · 11 postings
$64.50/hr
Glen Cove
New York · 17 postings
$18.00/hr
Wantagh
New York · 10 postings
$18.25/hr
Houston
Tx · 20 postings
$37.50/hr
Atlanta
Georgia · 11 postings
$44.00/hr
San Juan Capistrano
California · 16 postings
$47.25/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Clinical Laboratory Scientist positions.
Solomon Page
7 postings
$85.08/hr
8 postings
$79.81/hr
Sutter Health
44 postings
$76.50/hr
Trustaff Allied
13 postings
$76.03/hr
Stanford Health Care
6 postings
$74.50/hr
Ahrc Nassau
122 postings
$18.00/hr
St. Clare's - Denville
6 postings
$32.50/hr
Sanford Health
8 postings
$33.50/hr
Upmc
8 postings
$34.00/hr
Osf Healthcare
9 postings
$34.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Support Professional (cls) | 107 | $18.00/hr |
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist | 73 | $62.50/hr |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | 54 | $37.50/hr |
| Clinical Lab Scientist (cls) | 31 | $74.47/hr |
| Clinical Lab Scientist | 28 | $60.50/hr |
| Medical Technologist | 24 | $62.84/hr |
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist Ii | 20 | $64.50/hr |
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist (cls) | 20 | $53.00/hr |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist Ii | 18 | $42.00/hr |
| Laboratory - Medical Lab Scientist/medical Technologist $1,960/wk | 16 | $49.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Clinical Laboratory Scientist salaries.
FAQ
The median Clinical Laboratory Scientist salary is $52.00 per hour, or $108,160 annually. Pay ranges from $19.95/hr (10th percentile) to $72.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 1,190 job postings, the highest paying states for Clinical Laboratory Scientists include Pennsylvania, Connecticut, California. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 1,190 Clinical Laboratory Scientist job postings across 84 states, from 247 different healthcare employers.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 17.1%.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $10.00 to $20.50 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Salinas offer $75.38/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $18.00/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Clinical Laboratory Scientists typically earn around $19.95 to $37.50 per hour ($41,496 to $78,000 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $52.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 1,190 active postings with listed compensation for Clinical Laboratory Scientist. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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