Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians?
Task-level automation exposure for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians: 14 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
32%
weighted task index
14 of 14 tasks scored
Median Salary
$62,930 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
332,940 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+2.7%
employment change
20,800 openings a year · BLS roll-up 29-2010
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$37,790 – $97,280
Highest medians
New York $97,280
Oregon $83,010
New Hampshire $81,020
Massachusetts $79,120
Vermont $78,680
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $37,790
Guam $45,130
New Mexico $47,360
Idaho $47,450
Virgin Islands $48,650
OEWS has no state row for this exact code, so figures come from the 29-2010 roll-up. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 32%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 41%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 47%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 57/100
High
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
14 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 9%
1 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 37%
5 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 54%
8 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#24036 · Core · 64% automatable
Perform quality control analyses to ensure accuracy of test results.
data analysis — AI analyzes test results against criteria
Analyze test results. Evaluate data quality. Interpret design or operational test results. Direct quality control activities.
#1907 · Core · 25% automatable
Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts.
physical manipulation — Specimen testing needs lab equipment operation
Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
#1902 · Core · 45% automatable
Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer.
data analysis — Patient data entry largely automatable with review
Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems. Operate laboratory equipment to analyze medical samples. Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
#1904 · Core · 55% automatable
Analyze the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices.
data analysis — Lab finding interpretation; technician verifies results
Analyze laboratory findings.
#18535 · Core · 11% automatable
Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment.
physical manipulation — Physical assembly of medical supplies
Clean medical equipment or facilities. Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use. Maintain medical laboratory equipment.
#1909 · Core · 35% automatable
Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.
physical manipulation — Specimen analysis requires lab instruments and hands
Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems.
#1915 · Core · 8% automatable
Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures.
physical manipulation — Manual specimen preparation
Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
#1914 · Core · 30% automatable
Supervise or instruct other technicians or laboratory assistants.
interpersonal — Provider training is clinical, hands-on, accountable
Train medical providers. Supervise technical medical personnel.
#1911 · Core · 45% automatable
Consult with a pathologist to determine a final diagnosis when abnormal cells are found.
interpersonal — Clinical handoff carries accountability and nuance
Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
#1908 · Supplemental · 7% automatable
Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis.
physical manipulation — Aseptic hands-on cultivation
Collect biological specimens from patients. Cultivate micro-organisms for study, testing, or medical preparations. Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
#1910 · Supplemental · 5% automatable
Collect blood or tissue samples from patients, observing principles of asepsis to obtain blood sample.
physical manipulation — Invasive specimen collection needs hands-on clinical skill
Collect biological specimens from patients.
#1917 · Supplemental · 27% automatable
Test raw materials, processes, or finished products to determine quality or quantity of materials or characteristics of a substance.
visual inspection — Quality testing of materials is hands-on inspection
Test materials, solutions, or samples. Test quality of materials or finished products.
#1905 · Supplemental · 58% automatable
Analyze and record test data to issue reports that use charts, graphs, or narratives.
visual inspection — Image interpretation assists; radiologist owns diagnosis
Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
#1912 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Inoculate fertilized eggs, broths, or other bacteriological media with organisms.
physical manipulation — Aseptic hands-on cultivation
Cultivate micro-organisms for study, testing, or medical preparations. Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technicians"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->