Re: histologist pay and qualifications

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From:lpwenk@netquest.com (Wenk, Lee & Peggy)
To:Bruce A Rasmussen <brasmuss@osf1.gmu.edu>
Reply-To:
Date:Sun, 10 Oct 1999 08:17:38 -0400
Content-Type:text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Closest to fit this need would be the 1998 Wage and Vacancy Survey
done by ASCP Board of Registry (BOR). It's done every 2 years.

Go to:

	http://www.ascp.org

Click on BOR under the ASCP heading

Click on Med Lab Career found on the left column

Click on 1998 Wage and Vacancy Survey, found in
a box on the upper right.

Click on Table 1 at bottom of screen

(Really accessible, isn't it?  ;-)     )

This table will tell you wages for 
ASCP BOR exams - MT, MLT, HT, HTL, Phlebotomy,
Supervisors.

It will give the average for each, then break
the wages down to private labs vs. hospitals,
different size hospitals, beginning/top/average
wage, and then break it down to areas of the
country, and will include the % FTE vacancy.

There is no breakdown as to degree, education,
training programs or years of experience on
this chart.

However, at most hospitals, they have a salary
range. Here's a suggestion that is done
around our area:
- Someone being trained OJT would be
at the bottom of the scale.
- Someone with a degree gets started a
little higher than someone without a degree.
- Someone newly graduated from a 
NAACLS-accredited HT or HTL program
or who has some experience that is required
in that lab, is started a notch or two higher.
- Someone with lots of experience in what is
done in your lab is started even higher. 
- If the person has lots of experience in 
histology, but not in the specialty areas in 
your lab, they are not placed at the highest 
starting range, since they still need to be 
trained by you. But they are not at the
beginning, either.

- If all else fails, have your HRD do a
salary survey of comparable institutions
in your area. Have them ask:
- job description (including do the
techs do the specialty areas required
in your lab)
- education requirement
- ASCP requirement
- salary range

Then find out where your institution
wants to be in ranking of salary for
your area. If EVERYONE wants to work
at your place, you can get away with
having a lower salary range. If NO ONE
wants to work at your place, then
you have to pay higher as incentive.

I don't know about your area right now,
but it seems that most of the country is
calling my school or emailing me
several times a week, begging for a 
student. They are also offering
sign-on bonuses NOW, if they agree to
work for that hospital when they
graduate. My HT's graduate in March
and my HTL's graduate in August! Some
places have been looking 3-9 months and
still can't find anyone, so are willing
to wait some more if they have to.

I would say this indicates a job
shortage of histotechs, so expect
wages to increase, if the past is
any indication of the future.
(However, with managed care . . .
who know?)

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073


Bruce A Rasmussen wrote:
> 
> Hi histoneters,
> 
> Our institute is very interested in hiring a full time histologist/lab
> tech.  Does anyone have information on pay scales in relation to
> experience, certification status and degrees?  Please do not send resumes
> at this point as we have to conform to hiring practices. Thanks in
> advance.
> 
> Bruce
> 
> --------------------------------------
> Bruce Rasmussen
> Predoctoral Fellow in Experimental Neuropsychology
> The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study
> George Mason University
> Mail Stop 2A1
> Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
> Office:703-993-4358
> Lab:703-993-4369
> Fax:703-993-4325
> ---------------------------------------



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