Agricultural Careers

Laboratory Technician

By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Trisha Rae Stephens

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office

Georgia Department of Education

June 2005

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Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintains laboratory supplies and equipment in such a manner as to provide safety and efficiency of laboratory operations• Recommends changes in procedure to improve efficiency, accuracy and safety• Maintains complete and accurate records of all procedures and test results• Prepares reports of data collected and tests performed • Works on the testing and examination procedures carried out in the laboratory, and prepares diagnostic reagents and reference materials• Performs routine and repetitive test and examination procedures• Manages the research laboratory

Qualities and Skills

• Good vision• Excellent hand-eye coordination for handling delicate and precise laboratory equipment• Manual dexterity and normal color vision are highly desirable• Ability to construct mechanical devices and operate a variety of lab equipment

Salary

Median annual earnings of laboratory technicians were $29,040 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $23,310 and $35,840. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $43,960.

Work Environment

• Mechanical, Animal, chemical, or microbial laboratories• An agricultural college or university• Agricultural or biological research center• Commercial business• Outdoors, with plants, animals, or machinery

Becoming a Laboratory Technician

• High school preparation might include courses in Agricultural Education, which would be helpful in giving students broad knowledge of the materials, plants and or animals that a laboratory technician might encounter. • Take as many laboratory classes in high school as possible, to help you decide if working in a lab appeals to you.• Consider your interests and decide what type of lab you would prefer to work in.• Try getting a job or internship in a laboratory setting while in high school and college.

Career Resources

American Association of Bioanalysts, Board of Registry917 Locust St., Suite 1100

St. Louis, MO 63101Internet: http://www.aab.org/

National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel P.O. Box 15945-289Lenexa, KS 66285

Internet: http://www.nca-info.org