15 of the Best Types of Lab Technician Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Lab Technician jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Lab Technician Jobs

• Senior Lab Technician

  Salary range: $44,000 - $61,500

  Senior Lab Technician is a typical job search query. Most salaries for Senior Lab Technician jobs pay between $44,000 (25th percentile) and $61,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Senior Lab Technician job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Lab Technician Co Op

  Salary range: $40,000 - $58,000

  The qualifications you need for a Co-Op job depend on the application requirements at your school and the organization where you want to work. You must be an officially enrolled student at your college or university, and GPA and credit hour requirements are typical. Some companies prefer Co-Op students whose major aligns with the industry. You must have strong communication skills and a willingness to learn and practice a variety of new tasks and job duties. Your responsibilities are to apply your learning to your Co-Op work experience and be a punctual and motivated employee.

• Per Diem Lab Technician

  Salary range: $40,000 - $58,000

  Per diem jobs are short-term positions which are paid by the day. The most common per diem job opportunities are in the medical field, including positions in nursing, hospice, pediatrics, and midwifery. Phlebotomists, operating (OR) assistants, and pharmacists may also work on a per diem basis. Per diem employees are often contracted to work as admissions coordinators, recreation coordinators, and assistants.

• Lab Technician Manager

  Salary range: $40,000 - $58,000

  Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.

• Entry Level Lab Technician

  Salary range: $35,000 - $54,000

  To get a job as an entry-level lab technician, you typically need to obtain an associate degree in a relevant medical field or complete a specialized vocational certificate program. These programs provide classroom instruction and technical training, where students learn the fundamentals of the scientific method and laboratory sciences, such as biology and chemistry. Some states require laboratory staff to be licensed, but these requirements vary considerably. You may also obtain additional voluntary certification, such as specialization in cytotechnology, which can help with career advancement.

• Junior Lab Technician

  Salary range: $35,000 - $54,000

  Junior Lab Technician is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Junior Lab Technician jobs pay between $35,000 (25th percentile) and $54,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Junior Lab Technician job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Lab Technician Internship

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  A lab technician internship involves receiving training in a professional laboratory setting. Your duties depend on the nature of the lab and the details of the internship program. Most interns are science students who spend their internship organizing and preparing samples, conducting tests using lab equipment and tools, and logging results data. Many interns also clean the lab surfaces and equipment. You work under the supervision of professional lab technicians, researchers, or lab technologists. In a diagnostic laboratory, you test medical samples for evidence of disease, while research lab internships involve handling support and data entry responsibilities for each experiment.

• Temporary Lab Technician

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  A Temporary job is an employment arrangement in which both parties, the employee and employer, agree in advance that the position will be filled for a set period. Temporary jobs often are based on employers’ seasonal or specific project needs. Occasionally, Temporary employees will be offered ongoing, full-time positions if their performance is excellent and a position is available. However, you should not assume this will be the case.

• Lab Technician 2Nd Shift

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  The 2nd Shift is an evening or night shift. A 2nd Shift job refers to any job that requires employees to work after the first shift (traditionally 7 or 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m.) is finished. Second Shift usually means that you will work from 4 p.m. until midnight or 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Second Shift jobs are available in any career that needs coverage after traditional business hours. Some examples are medical careers, retail, and manufacturing.

• Lab Technician 3Rd Shift

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  The 3rd Shift is a work shift that covers overnight hours, roughly 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., for businesses that are open or require staff 24 hours a day. There are tradeoffs for people who work these hours. Those who work this shift find that they work when others sleep, and vice versa. While this can be hard, perks can include a lack of traffic en route to work and pay incentives. Some people also work the 3rd shift to be able to hold a second job or to be available to care for their children during the day.

• Summer Lab Technician

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  Summer jobs are an integral part of American culture for students in their teens and beyond, but not all summer jobs are created equal. The difference between a great summer and an awful one can be the right job. According to Forbes, some good summer jobs for teens are camp counselor, golf caddy, nanny, food service, retail sales, and, of course, internships.

• Temp Lab Technician

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  Temp Lab Technician is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Temp Lab Technician jobs pay between $38,000 (25th percentile) and $50,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Temp Lab Technician job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Full Time Lab Technician

  Salary range: $38,000 - $50,500

  Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.

• Apprentice Lab Technician

  Salary range: $34,000 - $44,000

  Apprentice Lab Technician is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Apprentice Lab Technician jobs pay between $34,000 (25th percentile) and $44,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Apprentice Lab Technician job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Lab Technician Trainee

  Salary range: $30,000 - $42,000

  The requirements to get a trainee job vary by industry. In some, such as architecture or accounting, you must graduate from an accredited college program before you can begin work. Other industries, such as retail, manufacturing, or telemarketing, may require only a high school diploma or a GED certificate to begin a training program. No matter what profession you are interested in, you should have strong verbal and written communication and an interest in continuing the career.