Healthcare · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Clinical Laboratory Technologist (2025)

The median Clinical Laboratory Technologist salary is $96,930 in New York, NY, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Rochester, NY offers the best purchasing power at $87,503 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Clinical Laboratory Technologist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Clinical Laboratory Technologist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$63,789

National Median

$96,930

Highest City

$46,680

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	New York, NY	$96,930	$49,440, $133,110	187.2	$51,779	16,220
2	San Jose, CA	$84,870	$66,830, $149,630	195.8	$43,345	1,870
3	San Francisco, CA	$84,130	$55,570, $133,660	179.6	$46,843	5,210
4	Sacramento, CA	$83,150	$49,310, $127,360	124.7	$66,680	2,020
5	Portland, OR	$83,010	$49,660, $116,990	130.1	$63,805	1,540
6	Rochester, NY	$81,290	$46,330, $99,860	92.9	$87,503	1,140
7	Albany, NY	$80,000	$40,920, $104,060	100.7	$79,444	830
8	Boston, MA	$79,480	$47,910, $107,260	152.1	$52,255	8,710
9	Seattle, WA	$78,170	$49,180, $123,660	149.4	$52,323	4,610
10	Buffalo, NY	$78,050	$48,370, $104,110	92.5	$84,378	710
11	Colorado Springs, CO	$77,300	$46,370, $107,390	104.5	$73,971	510
12	Providence, RI	$76,960	$42,670, $101,870	119.4	$64,456	1,410
13	Bridgeport, CT	$76,060	$45,980, $116,060	137.5	$55,316	540
14	Chicago, IL	$73,960	$44,580, $100,820	107.3	$68,928	7,620
15	Washington, DC	$70,300	$43,460, $104,290	152.8	$46,008	5,680
16	Denver, CO	$70,050	$48,610, $102,220	112.8	$62,101	2,890
17	Wichita, KS	$67,980	$38,570, $106,640	84	$80,929	810
18	Los Angeles, CA	$67,430	$46,790, $122,540	166	$40,620	10,150
19	Atlanta, GA	$65,530	$39,100, $105,420	99.2	$66,058	6,750
20	Cincinnati, OH	$65,370	$40,330, $97,980	91.2	$71,678	2,920
21	Minneapolis, MN	$65,210	$49,490, $98,990	106.2	$61,403	3,000
22	Nashville, TN	$65,060	$39,520, $97,180	100.3	$64,865	3,050
23	Memphis, TN	$64,000	$39,270, $98,610	84	$76,190	1,830
24	San Diego, CA	$63,770	$45,130, $127,710	160.2	$39,806	2,740
25	Jacksonville, FL	$63,330	$39,390, $96,560	95.1	$66,593	1,890
26	Bakersfield, CA	$63,210	$45,860, $102,210	100.6	$62,833	360
27	Milwaukee, WI	$63,190	$46,600, $93,240	97.4	$64,877	1,960
28	Tampa, FL	$62,550	$37,530, $98,660	99.6	$62,801	4,830
29	Phoenix, AZ	$62,530	$40,630, $99,560	100.7	$62,095	5,160
30	Charlotte, NC	$62,360	$41,240, $91,880	96.7	$64,488	2,020
31	Columbus, OH	$62,240	$39,470, $95,100	93.1	$66,853	2,520
32	Fresno, CA	$62,160	$44,470, $95,070	105.5	$58,919	600
33	Anchorage, AK	$62,050	$46,650, $109,660	127	$48,858	400
34	Miami, FL	$61,970	$38,260, $101,390	123.1	$50,341	7,570
35	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$61,910	$46,750, $100,600	122.4	$50,580	1,530
36	St. Louis, MO	$61,830	$38,400, $96,860	90	$68,700	3,960
37	Richmond, VA	$61,830	$42,000, $95,650	102.1	$60,558	0
38	Tucson, AZ	$61,720	$41,070, $106,720	95.4	$64,696	440
39	Louisville, KY	$61,460	$38,990, $94,090	90.2	$68,137	1,600
40	Houston, TX	$61,350	$39,410, $98,500	96.5	$63,575	7,410
41	San Antonio, TX	$61,010	$38,900, $84,800	91.5	$66,678	2,740
42	Hartford, CT	$60,840	$40,530, $103,960	112.6	$54,032	880
43	Las Vegas, NV	$60,640	$39,850, $103,890	109	$55,633	1,390
44	Philadelphia, PA	$59,790	$40,490, $94,900	118.4	$50,498	6,150
45	Raleigh, NC	$59,750	$40,190, $86,490	99.8	$59,870	1,810
46	Lexington, KY	$59,710	$38,900, $87,530	91.3	$65,400	980
47	Austin, TX	$59,570	$36,680, $94,110	103	$57,835	1,860
48	Omaha, NE	$59,420	$37,340, $94,320	91.8	$64,728	920
49	Dallas, TX	$59,280	$38,750, $97,150	104.1	$56,945	9,420
50	Kansas City, MO	$59,230	$38,760, $95,840	95.4	$62,086	2,990
51	Madison, WI	$59,090	$47,360, $83,140	103.8	$56,927	2,790
52	Detroit, MI	$58,910	$37,740, $95,110	95.1	$61,945	4,570
53	Indianapolis, IN	$58,910	$40,150, $87,530	90.1	$65,383	3,510
54	Knoxville, TN	$58,650	$37,390, $82,340	90.3	$64,950	1,320
55	Spokane, WA	$58,490	$39,340, $97,770	97.4	$60,051	820
56	Orlando, FL	$57,960	$38,050, $95,640	103.1	$56,217	2,820
57	Baltimore, MD	$57,930	$33,350, $95,340	114.2	$50,727	3,970
58	Greensboro, NC	$57,140	$38,360, $84,800	91.3	$62,585	690
59	New Orleans, LA	$55,540	$29,900, $91,340	95.9	$57,914	1,030
60	Tulsa, OK	$54,320	$35,980, $81,260	86.8	$62,581	1,170
61	Greenville, SC	$53,070	$34,630, $84,820	90.1	$58,901	990
62	Little Rock, AR	$52,120	$37,250, $80,310	88.2	$59,093	1,110
63	Birmingham, AL	$51,430	$36,550, $82,200	90.4	$56,892	2,790
64	Des Moines, IA	$50,240	$39,330, $86,010	93.3	$53,848	700
65	Reno, NV	$49,930	$45,390, $112,260	106.5	$46,883	470
66	Salt Lake City, UT	$48,630	$39,220, $84,680	101.4	$47,959	4,860
67	Oklahoma City, OK	$48,330	$36,610, $87,400	86.5	$55,873	1,770
68	Pittsburgh, PA	$47,610	$37,130, $79,960	92.3	$51,582	2,610
69	Albuquerque, NM	$47,240	$36,770, $78,870	94	$50,255	1,280
70	Boise, ID	$46,680	$38,130, $90,500	102.1	$45,720	730

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Clinical Laboratory Technologist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Rochester, NY	$87,503	$81,290	92.9
2	Buffalo, NY	$84,378	$78,050	92.5
3	Wichita, KS	$80,929	$67,980	84
4	Albany, NY	$79,444	$80,000	100.7
5	Memphis, TN	$76,190	$64,000	84
6	Colorado Springs, CO	$73,971	$77,300	104.5
7	Cincinnati, OH	$71,678	$65,370	91.2
8	Chicago, IL	$68,928	$73,960	107.3
9	St. Louis, MO	$68,700	$61,830	90
10	Louisville, KY	$68,137	$61,460	90.2
11	Columbus, OH	$66,853	$62,240	93.1
12	Sacramento, CA	$66,680	$83,150	124.7
13	San Antonio, TX	$66,678	$61,010	91.5
14	Jacksonville, FL	$66,593	$63,330	95.1
15	Atlanta, GA	$66,058	$65,530	99.2
16	Lexington, KY	$65,400	$59,710	91.3
17	Indianapolis, IN	$65,383	$58,910	90.1
18	Knoxville, TN	$64,950	$58,650	90.3
19	Milwaukee, WI	$64,877	$63,190	97.4
20	Nashville, TN	$64,865	$65,060	100.3
21	Omaha, NE	$64,728	$59,420	91.8
22	Tucson, AZ	$64,696	$61,720	95.4
23	Charlotte, NC	$64,488	$62,360	96.7
24	Providence, RI	$64,456	$76,960	119.4
25	Portland, OR	$63,805	$83,010	130.1
26	Houston, TX	$63,575	$61,350	96.5
27	Bakersfield, CA	$62,833	$63,210	100.6
28	Tampa, FL	$62,801	$62,550	99.6
29	Greensboro, NC	$62,585	$57,140	91.3
30	Tulsa, OK	$62,581	$54,320	86.8
31	Denver, CO	$62,101	$70,050	112.8
32	Phoenix, AZ	$62,095	$62,530	100.7
33	Kansas City, MO	$62,086	$59,230	95.4
34	Detroit, MI	$61,945	$58,910	95.1
35	Minneapolis, MN	$61,403	$65,210	106.2
36	Richmond, VA	$60,558	$61,830	102.1
37	Spokane, WA	$60,051	$58,490	97.4
38	Raleigh, NC	$59,870	$59,750	99.8
39	Little Rock, AR	$59,093	$52,120	88.2
40	Fresno, CA	$58,919	$62,160	105.5
41	Greenville, SC	$58,901	$53,070	90.1
42	New Orleans, LA	$57,914	$55,540	95.9
43	Austin, TX	$57,835	$59,570	103
44	Dallas, TX	$56,945	$59,280	104.1
45	Madison, WI	$56,927	$59,090	103.8
46	Birmingham, AL	$56,892	$51,430	90.4
47	Orlando, FL	$56,217	$57,960	103.1
48	Oklahoma City, OK	$55,873	$48,330	86.5
49	Las Vegas, NV	$55,633	$60,640	109
50	Bridgeport, CT	$55,316	$76,060	137.5
51	Hartford, CT	$54,032	$60,840	112.6
52	Des Moines, IA	$53,848	$50,240	93.3
53	Seattle, WA	$52,323	$78,170	149.4
54	Boston, MA	$52,255	$79,480	152.1
55	New York, NY	$51,779	$96,930	187.2
56	Pittsburgh, PA	$51,582	$47,610	92.3
57	Baltimore, MD	$50,727	$57,930	114.2
58	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$50,580	$61,910	122.4
59	Philadelphia, PA	$50,498	$59,790	118.4
60	Miami, FL	$50,341	$61,970	123.1
61	Albuquerque, NM	$50,255	$47,240	94
62	Anchorage, AK	$48,858	$62,050	127
63	Salt Lake City, UT	$47,959	$48,630	101.4
64	Reno, NV	$46,883	$49,930	106.5
65	San Francisco, CA	$46,843	$84,130	179.6
66	Washington, DC	$46,008	$70,300	152.8
67	Boise, ID	$45,720	$46,680	102.1
68	San Jose, CA	$43,345	$84,870	195.8
69	Los Angeles, CA	$40,620	$67,430	166
70	San Diego, CA	$39,806	$63,770	160.2

Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY pays the highest median Clinical Laboratory Technologist salary at $96,930. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Rochester, NY offers the most purchasing power at $87,503 adjusted.

The national median Clinical Laboratory Technologist salary is $63,789 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $46,680 to $96,930 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.