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Medical laboratory scientist salary in California

Open medical laboratory scientist jobs in California post a median of $64 an hour, the middle half $55.50–$74 (about $133,100 a year full time), $22.50 above the national posted median. From 112 jobs at 31 employers that state their pay.

$64
Median posted /hr
$56–$74
Middle half /hr
$133,100
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$36.54
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Medical laboratory scientist jobs in California · Medical laboratory scientist pay nationwide

What medical laboratory scientists are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 112 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $25, highest $109.31.

Posted on open jobs in California

$55.50–$74/hr

Middle half of 75 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $64. 69% of the 162 open medical laboratory scientist jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Medical laboratory scientist pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Los Angeles$61.75$39.66–$78.5813 (3)
San Diego$62.50$45–$86.547 (5)
San Juan Capistrano$49.25$37.41–$63.617 (1)
Oakland$83.75$64.98–$109.316 (3)
Palo Alto$74$59.21–$87.646 (1)
Livermore$86$69.88–$102.725 (1)
Berkeley$73.75$66.33–$82.885 (2)
Sacramento$70.25$47.75–$97.244 (3)
San Leandro$61.25$45–$77.324 (3)
Arcadia$57.50$50.76–$68.224 (2)
Modesto$70.50$55–$92.613 (2)
Salinas$64.25$58.06–$70.583 (1)
Rancho Cucamonga$50$37.02–$573 (1)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Medical laboratory scientist pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for medical laboratory scientists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Sutter Health$83.75$64.98–$107.8415
Kaiser Permanente$76.50$61.24–$95.9611
Quest Diagnostics$48.25$37.41–$63.6110
CommonSpirit Health$64.25$49.53–$94.528
Stanford Health Care$74.50$59.21–$90.727
Cedars-Sinai$50.50$39.66–$78.587
Providence$66$28.86–$102.105
ScionHealth$50$37.02–$575
Sharp HealthCare$62.50$54.67–$86.544
Tenet Healthcare$54.75$40.89–$81.914
Labcorp$52.25$25–$584
MarinHealth$82.50$54.32–$99.043
Salinas Valley Health$64$58.06–$70.583
Keck Medicine of USC$59.50$50.76–$68.223
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital$64.75$49.31–$82.422
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$64.25$53.39–$75.152
Emanate Health$64$642
Loma Linda University Health$63.25$52.52–$74.242
MemorialCare$62$52.43–$762
Palomar Health$53$42.30–$63.532
Alameda Health System$95$80.50–$109.311
El Camino Health$85.50$73.45–$97.621
UCSF Health$82$72.98–$90.901
Scripps Health$66.50$54.24–$78.661
City of Hope California$63$62.981
Kaweah Health$62.25$49.72–$74.581
Central Valley Specialty Hospital$61.75$55–$68.501
San Antonio Regional Hospital$57$45.59–$68.391
Marshall Medical Center$55.50$50.45–$60.541
Lompoc Valley Medical Center$54.25$45.59–$62.851
Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District$53.75$45–$62.291

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for medical laboratory scientists nationwide when it has such a page.

Night shift medical laboratory scientist pay in California

Where one employer posts both night and other medical laboratory scientist jobs in the same state (7 such employers and states), the night jobs post the same base rate as the rest (the median gap is $0): most employers state their night differential apart from the base pay, so check the posting for it.

Employer, stateNight jobs, medianOther jobs, median
Kaiser Permanente, CA$76.50 (2)$75 (9)
Cedars-Sinai, CA$57.25 (2)$50.50 (5)
Stanford Health Care, CA$68.75 (1)$74.50 (6)
Sharp HealthCare, CA$62.50 (2)$69.75 (2)
Keck Medicine of USC, CA$59.50 (2)$59.50 (1)
MarinHealth, CA$82.50 (1)$75.25 (2)
Emanate Health, CA$64 (1)$64 (1)

A job counts as a night job when its title names nights ("Nights", "NOC", "7p-7a"). Jobs in brackets.

Best-paid open medical laboratory scientist jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (29-2010)$22.88 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)$27.26 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)$36.54 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)$43.02 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)$60.99 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)29,210 (source: BLS OEWS, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Medical laboratory scientist salary in California: common questions

How much does a medical laboratory scientist make in California?

Open medical laboratory scientist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $64, the middle half $55.50–$74 (112 jobs from 31 employers). Full time that is about $133,100 a year. BLS measured a median of $36.54/hr ($76,010 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do medical laboratory scientists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Los Angeles ($61.75), San Diego ($62.50), San Juan Capistrano ($49.25) and Oakland ($83.75). The town table lists 13.

Which employers in California pay medical laboratory scientists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Sutter Health ($83.75), MarinHealth ($82.50) and Kaiser Permanente ($76.50).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($64) is $22.50 above the national posted median of $41.50. In the BLS survey California ranks 7 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 112 of 162 open medical laboratory scientist jobs in California (69%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Medical laboratory scientist pay in other states

Medical laboratory scientist salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (SOC 29-2010), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Medical laboratory scientist salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/medical-laboratory-scientist/california

How the board counts