Do yourselves a favor.  Go to the NSH homepage and print out their job list.
Then start investigating the starting salaries and the salaries for
experienced,
certified techs. I think you'll be very surprised.  I recently had to do
this to
negotiate a salary increase based on marketability (key word folks!), and was
pleasantly shocked to find out what I was worth!! My negotiations were
successful although some of the jobs out there were very tempting! There
were at
least two that I was seriously considering.  Don't fret about postings from
June-many have not been filled. I live and work in a city where we have one of
the few Histotech programs left, so we are turning out HT eligible techs
and we
are feeling the shortage.  Think what it must be doing to areas that have no
programs. Most potential employers are offering total relocation packages up
front and many are offering signing bonuses (of up to $3000).  So do a little
investigating and find out what this shortage is all about.  Incidently,  most
employers are looking for CERTIFIED, experienced people, and are not
willing to
hire and train "on the job", as these people too will have to be certified
withing 5 years.