M.T salaries for new grads

Hi does anyone know what the prevailing wage for M.T's in MA is or the salary for a new grad (4 yr B.S- ASCP eligible )
Thanks

According to the brochure on www.UAMS.edu you should expect a starting salary between $33,000 and $38,000.

wow thats low, I was expecting 50K for the chicago land area

Yea BKEM its low b/c you have MLT working in the field. If you can hire a mlt making 15-18 a hour, why would they want to hire a MT that could make 20-25? This is why our profession is shorthanded, noone wants to get into a field where you have 2 year degree can do the same as a 4 year degree. Our career will always be shorthanded till they eliminate the MLT degree and make the clinical lab soley a BSMT position. If they do that and hire solely MT with cert (NCA or ASCP) they will start at 25 and keep increasing every year. Pharmacy never has a shortage b/c they pay pharmacist 40-50/hour. Its not like its more interesting than the lab side, money talks, people will stay in the field if they can take care of their family without working two jobs or having a 2 year degree doing the same type of job your are.

Actually the median salary in Marlborough, MA is about 60K a year which is pretty good. It's also about 60K in Illinois. I'd trust salary.com because this appears to be a very accurate site for the most up to date info on salaries. It's right on when it comes to salaries in CA.

www.salary.com, enter medical technologist and zip code.

Its about 60K in Illinois if you find a hospital that will pay you 30/hour. But if they have MLT candidtes that can do they same things, they will hire them for 15-18 per hour. Trust me, when I am looking for a job, I have 5 years experience as a BSMT (ASCP). When I ask them 30/hour its like I am committing a crime, b/c they know they can hire a MLT for 15-18 per hour, why on earth would they hire a MT for higher wages. This folks, is why we have a shortage, all my friends that graduated with me got out of the profession b/c they were not getting paid well, MLT are taking their position, and the annual increases were horrible.

MLTs can only do so much. The only department MLTs can do about the same amount of work as MTs is Chemistry with the reason being it is so automated. The MLTs still cannot release results. MLTs cannot perform differentials under the microscope or do UAs in hematology. MLTs cannot look at micro plates and decide what bacteria is in the specimen like MTs. MLTs cannot crossmatch, type blood, or even issue blood like MTs.

In every department, MLTs cannot do these things, and this is why they are not like MTs. If you become more of a generalist or at least keep experience in all departments especially the less automated departments, MLTs will not take your job.

MLT MUST be restricted in California, but here in PA. I work with a majority of MLT and they can do EVERYTHING. A MLT is a senior tech in our blood bank, she is not the major but she does everything. We have two micro MLT techs that do EVERYTHING in micro, down to isolating the organisms via biochemical tests. So maybe they are restricted in california, certainly NOT in the east coast, this is why I am saying MLT LOWER WAGES. They do everything a MT does but get paid differently. I work with a majority of them at 3 different hospitals so this is a norm.

manajor not major..typo

Lynne - Massachusetts in Marlborough, Massachusetts said: Hi does anyone know what the prevailing wage for M.T's in MA is or the salary for a new grad (4 yr B.S- ASCP eligible )
Thanks

It's $19/hr. in Florida for new grads, and that seems to prevail for most of the U.S.

John1104 in Buffalo, New York said: MLT MUST be restricted in California, but here in PA. I work with a majority of MLT and they can do EVERYTHING. A MLT is a senior tech in our blood bank, she is not the major but she does everything. We have two micro MLT techs that do EVERYTHING in micro, down to isolating the organisms via biochemical tests. So maybe they are restricted in california, certainly NOT in the east coast, this is why I am saying MLT LOWER WAGES. They do everything a MT does but get paid differently. I work with a majority of them at 3 different hospitals so this is a norm.

Wow! I feel lucky to live in a restrictive state like Florida; their hospitals absolutely require all new employees to be ASCP-certified med techs; the non-ASCP-certified techs are the ones that were grandfathered in from over 20 years ago, and they'll soon be retiring. The going wages in Florida are low, compared to what I've read on this forum, but I'm not doing it for the money; I'm doing it for the love of microbiology. I absolutely love my job, and I'm proud of the fact that I'm actually using the education I worked so hard to get.

Ann I totally agree with what your saying. To increase pay the laboratory has to be regulated. Since the ASCP and NCA are merging I really hope they will stop with all these other certification agencies. People would stay in the field if they paid better. I had 5 friends that graduated with me that are totally in other field. One was PA, others went into pharmacy and another was a RN. Pharmacy is really not more interesting than the LAB side, but people stay in it b/c it pays well. If you had a 2 year degree LPN that does the same as a RN, of course hospitals would rather hire the cheaper labor LPN. But since they know RN had more schooling and clinical background, at least my hospital just layed of all the LPN and said it was mandatory for RN to work Med Serge. I wish they would do the same for MLT. Then alteast the starting salary would be higher, and would increase a good amount each year, so students would be interesting in working in the field and STAY in the field, hence no shortage. I am looking into pharmacy b/c I know it pays better, I already started applying. I really love my career, but I have to make a living, and trying to buy a house, have a family, car payments, I would have to work 2 full time jobs the rest of my life to survive.

$19 in Virgina for new grad. I think, it depends on how you negotiate with the employer. When I started working, they offered me only $17. I did not take it and finally pay $20/hr. They always try to give you very low especially for new grad.
Don't let them bully to you.

Boston Chilidren's Hospital 24.00... for real!

i'm a new grad making $45k plus 10% night differential.

John1104 in Buffalo, New York said: MLT MUST be restricted in California, but here in PA. I work with a majority of MLT and they can do EVERYTHING. A MLT is a senior tech in our blood bank, she is not the major but she does everything. We have two micro MLT techs that do EVERYTHING in micro, down to isolating the organisms via biochemical tests. So maybe they are restricted in california, certainly NOT in the east coast, this is why I am saying MLT LOWER WAGES. They do everything a MT does but get paid differently. I work with a majority of them at 3 different hospitals so this is a norm.

I work in Pennsylania. You hit it exactly. Also you have the bio major getting their noses in the profession because they cannot find a job. This does not help MT wages out either. The MLT can carry out a test, BUT they have no clue on the theory behind it. Hence they can not trouble shoot.