Job description

Cytotechnologists stain, mount, and study cells to detect evidence of cancer, hormonal abnormalities, and other pathological conditions following established standards and practices.

• Submit slides with abnormal cell structures to pathologists for further examination.
• Examine cell samples to detect abnormalities in the color, shape, or size of cellular components and patterns.
• Provide patient clinical data or microscopic findings to assist pathologists in the preparation of pathology reports.
• Document specimens by verifying patients’ and specimens’ information.

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Salary

Cytotechnologists with little to no experience tend to make between $29910 and $38310 while the more experienced ones can earn over $66920 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Cytotechnologist is to move to a higher paying state like RI. Right now, the highest paying states for Cytotechnologists are RI, AK, CT, NJ and OR.

However, a higher pay at RI doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at RI might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Cytotechnologist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Cytotechnologists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate followed by a Bachelor’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Cytotechnologist.

What is the job like

74% of Cytotechnologists said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

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