Histologic Technician

The histologic technician works with instruments to process, embed, and section tissue onto microscopic slides. Thereafter, the technician safely handles chemicals and dyes to perform tests on the sections to demonstrate pathological changes. Consequently, he or she must value precision and have good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. A graduate earns an Associate of Applied Science Degree and is eligible to be certified by the American Society of the Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) as a Histologic Technician. Today's Histologic Technician is employed in many diverse medical settings ranging from hospital, reference, research, forensic, or physicians' office laboratories. Other employment opportunities include working in medical businesses such as medical instrument technicians or medical supply industries. In addition, a graduate using the Associate degree could further their education by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Histologic Technology.

The Histologic Technician Program is accredited with the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Rd.,Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018. Their phone number is (773) 714-8880.

The Histologic Technician program graduates licensures/certifications are issued by the nationally recognized American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).

2022 Third-Party Licensure/Certification Exam Results

Occupational licensure and/or certification pass rates are reported by calendar year (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31). Results for the 2020 and 2021 calendar years are provided for comparison.

There are 3,525 Histotechnologists and Histologic Technicians employed in the Greater Houston Area. This number is expected to increase by 11.1% over the next four years.

• The estimated annual job openings is 213 jobs a year.
• Median Wages - $40,000 annually.