Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
Machines can already do 25% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 55%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 25% of this job's tasks.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 55% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Contact with people: it scores 67% for contact with people.
- Also called: Clinical Lab Tech (Clinical Laboratory Technician), Lab Assistant (Laboratory Assistant), Lab Associate (Laboratory Associate), Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer | 23% | 18% to 51% | |
| Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts | 14% | 18% to 51% | |
| Perform quality control analyses to ensure accuracy of test results | 10% | 37% to 60% | |
| Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment | 9% | 18% to 51% | |
| Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis | 9% | 18% to 51% | |
| Analyze the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices | 7% | 54% to 76% | |
| Collect blood or tissue samples from patients, observing principles of asepsis to obtain blood sample | 7% | 18% to 51% | |
| Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities | 5% | 27% to 64% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills medical and clinical laboratory technicians use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $80,250
- Special Education Teachers, Elementary School52% of tasks by 2035
- Anesthesiologists41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $391,490
- Social and Community Service Managers54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $80,390
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of medical and clinical laboratory technicians?
Machines can do 25% of the tasks of medical and clinical laboratory technicians today and 55% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-2012.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technicians/