Choose Your Own Career: Medical Laboratory Technician

We'll assume you have a high school diploma. The harder path to becoming a medical laboratory technician, at least in California, will require a lot of training and education:

1. get a BS in science, preferably in Biology (4 years at an estimated cost of 60000USD)
2. complete a laboratory trainee course (8 months at an estimated cost of 5000USD)
3. complete a laboratory certificate (16 months at an estimated cost of 20000USD)
4. intern as a laboratory technician (6 months at an estimated cost of 5000USD)

These are estimates but total cost in time is about six years. Total cost in money is about 90000USD. For an estimated annual average salary of 50000USD, you will have paid off your education investment in less than two years. Again, these are only estimates!