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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: $62,930

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: $62,930

Projected job growth: 1.7%

10th Percentile: $38,910

25th Percentile: $47,650

75th Percentile: $81,450

90th Percentile: $100,990

Projected job growth: 1.7%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $49,440 $34,790 $79,520
Alaska $60,950 $44,550 $109,080
Arizona $62,530 $40,520 $99,560
Arkansas $49,670 $35,580 $79,420
California $76,010 $47,580 $126,870
Colorado $70,050 $47,050 $102,900
Connecticut $65,310 $43,320 $111,940
Delaware $68,630 $46,650 $98,420
District of Columbia $76,560 $47,470 $126,300
Florida $60,510 $37,530 $96,860
Georgia $62,180 $37,970 $101,020
Hawaii $66,020 $48,070 $100,340
Idaho $47,450 $38,130 $92,280
Illinois $71,950 $44,980 $99,970
Indiana $57,080 $38,910 $87,470
Iowa $54,260 $38,790 $79,660
Kansas $62,050 $38,490 $94,780
Kentucky $60,880 $37,800 $88,750
Louisiana $54,460 $33,140 $84,720
Maine $68,690 $46,280 $94,320
Maryland $63,690 $34,760 $98,260
Massachusetts $79,120 $47,360 $105,750
Michigan $61,260 $37,560 $91,280
Minnesota $74,440 $49,810 $101,190
Mississippi $50,640 $33,760 $81,200
Missouri $60,300 $37,490 $91,540
Montana $65,190 $38,910 $97,070
Nebraska $60,540 $38,090 $85,610
Nevada $57,320 $40,390 $103,890
New Hampshire $81,020 $42,090 $99,930
New Jersey $68,450 $46,530 $107,470
New Mexico $47,360 $36,770 $80,990
New York $97,280 $50,060 $132,530
North Carolina $60,650 $39,860 $86,490
North Dakota $62,680 $37,300 $83,920
Ohio $63,800 $39,250 $95,100
Oklahoma $53,300 $35,780 $83,970
Oregon $83,010 $49,260 $117,640
Pennsylvania $51,680 $37,630 $86,390
Rhode Island $75,780 $41,850 $102,650
South Carolina $55,280 $36,420 $81,930
South Dakota $60,890 $37,550 $81,560
Tennessee $62,070 $37,800 $87,210
Texas $59,290 $38,330 $94,830
Utah $49,090 $38,220 $86,080
Vermont $78,680 $56,460 $101,120
Virginia $61,050 $38,910 $96,080
Washington $72,760 $46,780 $112,020
West Virginia $61,810 $37,240 $88,470
Wisconsin $60,670 $46,350 $84,980
Wyoming $65,510 $34,270 $99,440

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2025 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.