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Learn How to Become a Histotechnologist

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By: All Allied Health Staff

Updated: December 3, 2025

Home » Specialties » Histotechnologist

Histotechnologist: Fast Facts

  • What you’ll do: Also known as histologic technologists or tissue technologists, you’ll prepare slices of body tissue for examination by pathologists. As a histotechnologist, you’ll be performing complex procedures for processing body tissue and make judgments concerning the quality of results.
  • Where you’ll work: Most histotechnologists work in hospitals or clinical pathology labs, but you might also work in research laboratories, doctors’ offices, for a pharmaceutical company or for a government agency.
  • Degree you’ll need: Bachelor’s degree
  • Median annual salary: $61,890

What Is a Histotechnologist?

A histotechnologist, also referred to as a histology technician or histologic technician, is a highly specialized medical laboratory professional. They play a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases by skillfully processing tissue samples and preparing microscope slides for examination. Histotechnologists are experts in the field of histology, which involves studying the microscopic structures of tissues to aid in medical diagnoses.

Education and Training

In addition to histology and histochemistry, you’ll learn processing techniques, preparation of specimens and microscopy.

Courses in histotechnology generally include the following:

  • Medical Terminology
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Immunology
  • Anatomy and Physiology

Licensing and Certification

In order to become a histotechnologist, you’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree and certification from a National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) accredited program.

Regulations vary from state to state, but certification is highly recommended because many employers require it. The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) offers national certification and testing, which earns histotechnologists the title Certified Histotechnologist (CHTL).

Median Annual Histotechnologist Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics categorized histotechnologists under clinical laboratory technicians and technologists, and reports they earn a median annual wage of .

Take a look at median annual salaries for your state.

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

National data

Median Salary: $61,890

Projected job growth: 1.7%

10th Percentile: $38,020

25th Percentile: $46,580

75th Percentile: $80,010

90th Percentile: $97,990

Projected job growth: 1.7%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $47,790 $31,820 $79,070
Alaska $62,290 $40,750 $105,350
Arizona $62,480 $41,140 $99,270
Arkansas $50,480 $35,620 $78,670
California $71,920 $46,960 $125,640
Colorado $69,580 $44,930 $99,500
Connecticut $75,200 $45,980 $108,000
Delaware $67,040 $38,570 $99,990
District of Columbia $78,630 $46,290 $118,970
Florida $57,940 $36,220 $89,340
Georgia $62,950 $37,660 $98,360
Hawaii $62,180 $41,980 $101,900
Idaho $45,080 $36,520 $83,140
Illinois $66,940 $39,660 $97,420
Indiana $55,420 $37,640 $81,210
Iowa $54,560 $37,830 $79,080
Kansas $60,470 $38,380 $87,530
Kentucky $59,900 $36,780 $84,560
Louisiana $56,980 $32,020 $82,710
Maine $67,040 $44,330 $88,860
Maryland $60,150 $33,540 $95,220
Massachusetts $69,760 $46,700 $103,340
Michigan $58,610 $37,660 $87,820
Minnesota $74,840 $53,100 $97,550
Mississippi $47,480 $30,990 $78,280
Missouri $57,460 $37,410 $87,110
Montana $65,290 $37,970 $95,190
Nebraska $62,430 $39,420 $89,380
Nevada $50,720 $37,400 $107,100
New Hampshire $80,220 $50,690 $98,910
New Jersey $65,270 $40,190 $100,200
New Mexico $46,530 $35,970 $79,730
New York $84,660 $45,940 $127,670
North Carolina $59,390 $37,610 $83,970
North Dakota $61,790 $36,740 $86,540
Ohio $62,890 $38,200 $87,910
Oklahoma $54,820 $36,660 $80,450
Oregon $79,640 $46,900 $108,750
Pennsylvania $61,520 $39,480 $86,880
Rhode Island $81,220 $51,690 $118,170
South Carolina $52,300 $34,710 $79,480
South Dakota $57,540 $33,990 $78,210
Tennessee $57,760 $36,050 $84,150
Texas $54,840 $36,780 $88,940
Utah $47,450 $37,440 $83,870
Vermont $76,430 $50,870 $102,260
Virginia $60,720 $38,780 $94,020
Washington $68,650 $45,250 $106,880
West Virginia $60,240 $37,210 $85,850
Wisconsin $63,340 $41,350 $84,110
Wyoming $65,320 $37,450 $100,950

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.