How to Become a Medical Lab Technician or Scientist in Texas
Medical laboratory professionals run the blood, tissue and microbiology tests behind most medical decisions. Technicians (MLT) train in two-year associate degrees; scientists (MLS) need a bachelor's degree or a one-year certificate after one. Both lead to the ASCP certification exam.
Step 1: Finish an Accredited Program
Texas has 33 accredited medical lab programs: 18 associate degrees, 10 bachelor's degrees, 5 certificates. The median program runs about 24 months. Of the 5 that publish a total cost, prices run from $845 (Austin State Hospital) to $11,000 (McLennan Community College). 2
Highest reported certification exam rates among larger programs: Central Texas College (100%), Houston City College, Coleman (100%) and Austin State Hospital (100%).
Compare every Texas medical lab program, or by area: Houston, Austin, Tyler-Longview, Killeen-Temple, Dallas, Corpus Christi.
Step 2: Pass the Certification Exam
The median Texas program reports a 88.5% rate (28 programs reporting), but results range from 40.0% to 100%. Graduates who passed a medical laboratory certification exam (usually the ASCP Board of Certification exam), as the program publishes it for NAACLS. Programs report a three-year figure or yearly rates; where only yearly rates are published we show the newest year rather than averaging them. NAACLS expects at least 75.0%: the 75% three-year certification pass rate NAACLS expects of accredited programs.
Step 3: Get Credentialed
Texas does not license medical laboratory technicians or scientists, so there is no state application. Employers generally expect national certification, most often from the ASCP Board of Certification (MLT for associate graduates, MLS for bachelor's graduates), with AMT certification as an alternative.
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Graduate from a NAACLS- or ABHES-accredited MLT program (associate degree) within the last 5 years and pass the MLT(ASCP) exam.3 | $235 |
| Alternative: bachelor's graduates of a NAACLS-accredited MLS program take the MLS(ASCP) exam instead.4 | $260not counted |
| Alternative: take the AMT Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) exam instead of ASCP.5 | $220not counted |
| Alternative: take the AMT Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) exam, which covers the role AMT once called Medical Technologist (MT).6 | $245not counted |
Typical fees to start working: $235. Counts only the MLT(ASCP) exam ($235) for associate graduates. Bachelor's graduates pay $260 for MLS(ASCP) instead, and AMT exams ($220 MLT, $245 MLS) are alternatives; Texas charges no state fee. ASCP MLT and MLS credentials renew every three years with 36 CMP points and a $110 fee; AMT requires a $110 annual fee (rising $10 from Feb 1, 2027) and 45 points every three years.
Jobs and Pay Across Texas
About 29,530 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians work in Texas. The middle half earn between $44,990 and $77,750 a year; new graduates usually start toward the lower end. Texas expects about 2,450 openings a year statewide through 2034, from new positions, retirements and people changing jobs, with the number of jobs growing 15.6% (from 29,740 to 34,380).
What Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians Earn by Area
The Texas median is $59,290 a year. 1 Pay is highest around Texarkana ($61,620), Lubbock ($61,490), Beaumont-Port Arthur ($61,380) and lowest around Tyler-Longview ($48,750) and Abilene ($47,670). At the median program cost, setting aside 10% of the Texas median wage pays the program back in about 1.6 years.
Sources and Dates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (29-2010), May 2025 estimates.
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), checked Nov. 2026.
- ASCP BOC MLT - Medical Laboratory Technician, checked Nov 2026.
- ASCP BOC MLS - Medical Laboratory Scientist, checked Nov 2026.
- AMT Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), checked Nov 2026.
- AMT Get Certified, checked Nov 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Texas and metro areas (employment and wage percentiles), May 2025 estimates.
- Texas Workforce Commission, long-term occupational projections, 2024 to 2034.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or NAACLS. Our independence policy