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Reference Lab Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lab Technician

Wheat Ridge, CO · On-site

$25 - $28/hr

Insight from the hiring manager: "for this temp position, I am looking for someone who has direct clinical reference lab experience. Ideally the candidate will have experience analyzing patient ...

Lab Assistant

Brockton, MA · On-site

$20/hr

Routes reference lab specimens, with a copy of the requisition, to the reference lab desk for inclusion into the TridentCare Sample Tracker . * Proper Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) must be ...

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Reference Lab information

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How much do reference lab jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for reference lab in the United States is $25.25, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.23 and $27.88 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some typical challenges faced by professionals working in a reference laboratory, and how can they be addressed?

Professionals in a reference laboratory often encounter challenges such as managing high sample volumes, meeting strict turnaround times, and ensuring accuracy across a diverse range of tests. Effective communication with clinical teams and meticulous attention to detail are essential to maintain workflow efficiency and minimize errors. Continuous training and familiarity with evolving technologies also help staff stay current with best practices and regulatory requirements, ensuring high-quality results and patient safety.

What is a Reference Lab?

A reference lab is a specialized medical laboratory that performs high-complexity or specialized diagnostic testing, often on samples sent from hospitals, clinics, or other medical facilities. These labs have advanced equipment and expertise to conduct tests that are not typically available in smaller or local labs. Reference labs play a crucial role in providing accurate results for rare, complex, or high-volume tests, supporting physicians in diagnosing and treating patients. They may also offer consultation on test interpretation and guidance on appropriate testing strategies.

What does a reference laboratory do?

A reference laboratory performs specialized testing and analysis on biological samples to confirm diagnoses, support patient care, and ensure test accuracy. These labs often handle complex or high-volume tests and require skilled technicians and quality control procedures.

What is the highest paid lab job?

In a reference laboratory, the highest paid roles are often senior pathologists or laboratory directors, who typically hold medical degrees and board certifications. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and often involve overseeing laboratory operations and ensuring compliance, with salaries frequently exceeding six figures annually.

What is the highest-paying career in a laboratory?

In a laboratory setting, the highest-paying careers are often senior roles such as Laboratory Directors or Chief Scientific Officers, who oversee operations and research. These positions typically require advanced degrees, extensive experience, and leadership skills, and they can earn six-figure salaries depending on the organization and location.

What is the difference between Reference Lab vs Medical Laboratory Technician?

AspectReference LabMedical Laboratory Technician
CredentialsVaries; often specialized certifications or licensure depending on tests performedAssociate's degree in medical laboratory technology; certification often required
Work EnvironmentLarge laboratories, hospitals, or diagnostic centers; handling high volume testingHospital labs, clinics, or diagnostic facilities; performing routine tests under supervision
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by diagnostic companies and hospitals for specialized testingCommonly employed in healthcare settings for sample analysis

Reference Labs and Medical Laboratory Technicians both work in laboratory settings, but Reference Labs typically handle high-volume, specialized testing often for multiple clients, while Medical Laboratory Technicians perform routine testing under supervision. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Reference Laboratory Technician, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Reference Laboratory Technician, you need a solid background in laboratory science, attention to detail, and typically an associate's or bachelor's degree in medical technology or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory information systems (LIS), automated analyzers, and quality control procedures is essential, along with certifications like ASCP or AMT being highly valued. Strong organizational skills, effective communication, and the ability to work independently under strict deadlines are crucial soft skills. These competencies ensure accurate test processing, reliable results, and efficient lab operations critical for patient diagnosis and care.

What jobs in the US pay 300,000 a year?

In the healthcare and laboratory fields, senior roles such as laboratory directors, chief medical officers, or specialized pathologists can earn $300,000 or more annually. These positions typically require advanced degrees, extensive experience, and often certification or licensing, with salaries influenced by location, employer size, and responsibilities.
More about Reference Lab jobs
What cities are hiring for Reference Lab jobs? Cities with the most Reference Lab job openings:
What states have the most Reference Lab jobs? States with the most job openings for Reference Lab jobs include:
Infographic showing various Reference Lab job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 10% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $52,516 per year, or $25.2 per hour.
Senior Manager, Product Commercialization - Reference Laboratory

Senior Manager, Product Commercialization - Reference Laboratory

Mars

Casar, NC • On-site

$112K - $148K/yr

Full-time

Posted yesterday


Mars Inc. rating

7.7

Company rating: 7.7 out of 10

Based on 39 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

104th of 391 rated food and drinks producers


Job description

Job Description:

We understand that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today, and that's why we're inspired to make A Better World for Pets. Antech is comprised of a diverse team of individuals who are committed to each other's growth and development. Our culture is centered on our guiding philosophy, The Five Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. Today Antech is driving the future of pet health as part of MarsScience & Diagnostics, a family-owned company focused on veterinary care.

Antech is seeking an experienced and highly driven Senior Product Commercialization Manager - Reference Lab (Europe & APAC) to lead the commercialization strategy, portfolio management, and growth initiatives for our Reference Laboratory services.

This role focuses on driving commercialization and market growth across Antech's highestpotential Reference Lab markets, with responsibility for developing differentiated strategies, supporting customer acquisition, retention and expanding utilization in key diagnostic categories where Antech has strong competitive advantage.

The role requires strong strategic capability, commercial acumen, market insight, and the ability to drive crossfunctional initiatives across Marketing, Sales, Medical, and Lab Operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Market Research & Insights

  • Leverage internal data, customer insights, and operational performance metrics to inform market research, identify growth opportunities, and shape commercialization strategies.
  • Conduct market research to understand testing behaviors, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and category opportunities.
  • Translate insights into clear commercialization strategies and growth priorities.
  • Partner with Sales, Medical, and Lab Operations to identify market gaps and opportunities.

Portfolio, Pricing & Commercial Strategy

  • Partner with Lab Operations and Commercial teams to evaluate and design the most competitive test portfolio for each market, harmonizing across geographies where relevant.
  • Conduct competitive pricing assessments and develop pricing recommendations that balance market competitiveness, customer value, and profitability.
  • Ensure clear alignment between operational capabilities, portfolio strategy, and commercial messaging.
  • Provide commercial teams with guidance on new test introductions, portfolio optimisation, and phase-out decisions.
  • Use market insights, customer behaviour data, and partner with finance to inform portfolio and pricing strategies.

Value Proposition Development

  • Conduct market research to inform insights, pain points and areas of opportunity to develop compelling value propositions against Antech's Reference Lab Services.
  • Develop and refine differentiated value propositions for Reference Lab services based on customer needs and scientific credibility.
  • Ensure consistency across customer touchpoints, sales materials, and marketing communications.

Commercial Marketing Planning & Growth Execution

  • Develop and execute annual and quarterly commercialization plans aligned to business objectives, revenue targets, and market opportunities.
  • Support the forecasting process with Lab Operations to ensure accurate demand planning, capacity alignment, and operational readiness.
  • Define target customer segments, messaging, activation tactics, channels, and success metrics to drive measurable commercial outcomes.
  • Create and implement insightled initiatives to drive growth in priority diagnostic categories, supporting customer acquisition, reactivation of lapsed accounts, and expanded utilisation among existing customers.
  • Partner with Sales, Medical, Education, Lab Operations, and Customer Support Teams to ensure unified execution across all customer touchpoints.
  • Continuously monitor performance, analyse results, and optimise strategies to improve conversion, retention, and category utilisation.
  • Ensure strong commercial enablement through effective sales tools, training materials, and coordinated launch plans.
  • Partner closely with Marketing to ensure timely, accurate, and customercentric communication of service updates, portfolio changes, and new offerings, ensuring the Reference Lab experience is clearly and consistently articulated across all channels.
  • Drive the development of customerfacing brochures, product service directories, and educational materials for Reference Lab services in partnership with Marketing, ensuring messaging aligns with the value proposition and commercialization priorities.

Customer Experience, Measurement & Insights

  • Manage the design and continuous improvement of the Reference Lab customer onboarding experience in partnership with Sales, Marketing, Lab Operations, IT/Connectivity, and Medical - ensuring a seamless, consistent, and customercentric start that accelerates adoption and retention.
  • Define onboarding and earlylife success KPIs and dashboards, drive crossfunctional accountability, and lead rootcause/continuousimprovement actions when performance falls short.
  • Own the NPS framework for Reference Lab - including targets, cadence, segmentation, and reporting.
  • Convert NPS insights into commercial and CX improvements, influencing onboarding, service quality, communications, and growth initiatives.
  • Report NPS performance and trends to leadership with clear priorities and action plans.

Education and Experience:

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Life Sciences, or related field.
  • 5-7+ years of strategic marketing or product management experience in Lab Services, diagnostics, medical devices, healthcare, or similar
  • Proven success developing and executing commercialization strategies.
  • Experience working crossfunctionally in complex or matrix environments.
  • Experience within veterinary or human diagnostics strongly preferred.
  • International experience would be a plus.
  • Fluent in English. Additional European language skills beneficial.

About Antech

Antech is a leader in veterinary diagnostics, driven by our passion for innovation that delivers better animal health outcomes. Our products and services span 90+ reference laboratories around the globe; in-house diagnostic laboratory instruments and consumables, including rapid assay diagnostic products and digital cytology services; local and cloud-based data services; practice information management software and related software and support; veterinary imaging and technology; veterinary professional education and training; and board-certified specialist support services.

Note to Search Firms/Agencies

Antech Diagnostics, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (Antech) do not compensate search firms for unsolicited assistance unless they have a written search agreement with Antech and the requisition is position-specific. Any resumes, curriculum vitae, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a written search agreement or position-specific requisition submitted to any Associate of Antech will be deemed the sole property of Antech and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Antech.

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

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