Vol. 23 • Issue 12 • Page 26
The ADVANCE 2014 Laboratory Salary Survey has officially closed, and based on the record-breaking number of surveys we received and numerous comments online, it’s evident that salaries for the clinical laboratory community is a sensitive subject. Starting on Friday, December 8th, 2014, we’ll be releasing detailed information on all of the data collected to provide you, the dedicated laboratory professional, with an inside look at where you financially stand in the industry. In the meantime, here’s a peak at the results our readers can expect to see over the course of the next several weeks.
The economic climate in the United States over the past few years has affected every profession, including healthcare professionals. On top of this, regulatory measures continue to squeeze aspects of the industry, which is especially seen in the laboratory. Changes and restrictions have affected not only the facilities, but the individual professionals within them. For clinical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, administrators and managers, the impact can be seen in every specialty – from phlebotomists to generalists to clinical chemists, and everything in-between.
Of course, some results stood out more than others. For example, at first glance, one particular piece of data was undeniable. The number of female laboratory professionals towered over their male counterparts at a ratio of 77 percent to 23 percent. Another interesting statistic was that 34.6 percent of surveyors were between the ages of 50 and 59, especially when compared to newer employees between 21 and 29, who made up just 10 percent. As well, of the 16 different specialties listed, 37.6 percent were generalists. However, some of these statistics may not be altogether surprising given both the volume and tone of the overwhelming majority of the comments on the survey page. One commenter summarized:
“.Our techs are expected to be ‘generalists’ on the day shift, yet be the experts. The same is true of our supervisors,” the individual wrote. “We work at an extremely busy hospital lab, and we are definitely not compensated for what we do. The number of people in the lab that are nearing retirement age is frightening yet somehow this has not been recognized as a national problem.”
The statistics presented in the survey data showed the majority of the surveyors (at 19.3 percent) maintain an annual salary between $60,000 and $69,000. For laboratories being paid per diem, the majority of surveyors (at 23.4 percent) make between $20 and $29 hourly. Given that the most common age group was between 50-59 years of age and the most common level of experience was over 25 years (43.1 percent – a vast majority) among those surveyed, the concerns voiced in comments section regarding compensation and wages were unsurprising.
Although many of those who commented discussed their work positively, they also noted that they would not recommend the laboratory as a suitable career option for new comers entering the workforce. This was most often attributed to several frustrations-difficult and draining hours, the stress of the work, unfair compensation and the under-appreciated role of laboratory professionals in healthcare facilities like hospitals (where 68.4 percent of the surveyors work). Regardless of the discontent in the status of laboratory staff evident in the comments, one thing was made very clear: As a group, laboratorians are truly dedicated to health of their patients.
“I have worked in this field for over 40 years and never get bored,” one commenter posted. “I worked in pharmaceutical research, animal research, research at Cornell University and have been back at the clinical hospital lab for the remainder of my work days. My salary could be better, but I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding job.”
As ADVANCE continues to calculate and reveal even more information collected in the salary survey, different combinations of data will be presented to give you the best impression possible of your role in the industry. The various aspects examined will include (but are not limited to) factors like age, gender, experience and location. For our readers, the upcoming weeks are guaranteed to be both interesting and eye-opening, so stay tuned. Drumroll, please.
Michael Jones is on staff at ADVANCE.
