Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs in Columbus, OH
Medical laboratory technicians in Columbus run the tests behind diagnoses at Ohio State's campus and East Hospital labs, OhioHealth hospitals and Nationwide Children's. The metro's lab median sits near $30 an hour, and 24-hour labs keep night shifts open. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to qualify.
Current medical laboratory technician Openings in Columbus, OH
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Laboratory Technician Work in Columbus
Clinical lab work in Columbus is concentrated in hospital labs that never close. Ohio State Wexner Medical Center runs core, critical care and cancer hospital labs around W 10th Ave on the OSU campus, an East Laboratory on Taylor Ave on the Near East Side and an outpatient lab at Martha Morehouse Medical Plaza on Kenny Rd. OhioHealth staffs labs across its hospital network out to Pickerington Methodist, and Nationwide Children's runs a core lab on its Near South Side campus plus outreach labs such as Westerville.
The metro reaches past the Outerbelt for lab staff too. Adena Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster hires for its core lab, and Columbus hospitals commonly post one job open to both technicians and technologists, so an associate-trained MLT can apply for many roles labeled medical technologist.
Top Columbus Employers Hiring Medical Laboratory Technicians
These Columbus-area employers have posted lab technician or technologist roles on their own career sites:
- Ohio State Wexner Medical Center - hires med techs, MLTs and lab scientists for the James, critical care, East Hospital and Martha Morehouse labs.
- OhioHealth - posts combined medical technologist or medical lab technician jobs at hospitals including Pickerington Methodist.
- Nationwide Children's Hospital - hires laboratory technicians and technologists for its core lab, outreach labs and the Institute for Genomic Medicine.
- Adena Fairfield Medical Center - the Lancaster hospital lists medical technologist or medical lab technician openings in its core lab.
- Mount Carmel Health System - has posted medical technologist or medical lab technician roles for its east side and suburban hospitals.
Medical Laboratory Technician Salaries in Columbus
- Entry level: about $19 to $23 per hour for newly certified technicians.
- Experienced: roughly $24 to $32 per hour, with the metro median for lab technicians and technologists near $30.
- Senior / technologist: about $35 to $45 per hour, mostly for bachelor's-level scientists, leads and specialty lab roles.
These are estimates from federal wage data for the Columbus metro, which groups technicians and technologists together, so MLT pay usually sits in the lower half. Certification, night and weekend shifts, and a move from MLT to MLS raise pay the most, and Nationwide Children's has advertised sign-on bonuses for lab technologists.
How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technician in Columbus
Ohio does not license clinical laboratory personnel, so there is no state license to apply for. Columbus employers want national certification instead, usually MLT(ASCP) from the ASCP Board of Certification, with AMT accepted at OhioHealth, and Ohio State asks for certification within a year of hire. The local MLT route is the NAACLS-accredited Medical Laboratory Technology associate degree at Columbus State Community College. The Ohio State University offers a Medical Laboratory Science bachelor's degree, based at Atwell Hall on W 10th Ave, with MLT-to-MLS options for working techs.
What the Job Involves
Medical laboratory technicians process blood, urine and tissue samples and run tests in chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, microbiology and the blood bank. They operate and calibrate automated analyzers, run quality control, check results for errors, report critical values to nurses and doctors, and log everything in the lab information system. In hospital labs the work runs around the clock, with stat samples from the emergency department and ICUs taking priority.
Skills Employers Look For
- MLT(ASCP) certification or eligibility
- Experience with automated chemistry and hematology analyzers
- Quality control and troubleshooting
- Accuracy and attention to detail under time pressure
- Lab information system and electronic record skills
- Safe specimen handling and infection control
Career Path and Advancement
Many Columbus techs start on evening or night shifts in a hospital core lab, then move to day shifts or specialty benches such as microbiology, blood bank or molecular testing. The biggest step is earning a bachelor's degree and MLS(ASCP) certification, which Ohio State's MLT-to-MLS options support, and from there the ladder runs to lead technologist, lab supervisor and lab manager at the major health systems.
Related Careers in Columbus
If lab work interests you, these related Columbus healthcare roles are worth a look:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical lab technician in Ohio?
No. Ohio does not license clinical laboratory personnel. Columbus employers instead require or prefer national certification, most often MLT(ASCP), and some give new hires up to a year to earn it.
How much do medical lab technicians make in Columbus?
Newly certified technicians generally start around $19 to $23 an hour, and experienced techs earn roughly $24 to $32. The Columbus median for lab technicians and technologists combined is near $30 an hour.
What is the difference between an MLT and a medical technologist?
An MLT usually holds an associate degree and MLT(ASCP) certification, while a medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist holds a bachelor's degree and MLS(ASCP). Many Columbus postings accept either, but technologists handle more complex testing and earn more.
How long does it take to become an MLT in Columbus?
The usual route is an associate degree in medical laboratory technology, such as the NAACLS-accredited program at Columbus State, followed by the ASCP Board of Certification MLT exam. Associate degrees typically take about two years of full-time study, and Ohio State hires some techs who finish certification within a year on the job.
Do Columbus lab jobs require night shifts?
Hospital labs run 24 hours, so many entry-level openings are evening, night or weekend shifts, often with a pay differential. Outpatient and clinic labs, such as Ohio State's Martha Morehouse lab, offer more weekday daytime schedules.
Ready to apply? Browse all Medical Laboratory Technician jobs in Columbus, OH on LocalJobPage and apply today.