Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs in Raleigh, NC
Medical laboratory technicians in Raleigh run the analyzers behind the blood work at WakeMed, UNC REX and Duke Raleigh, and UNC REX posts an MLT hiring range of $23 to $30 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires, what it pays and how to get certified.
Current medical laboratory technician Openings in Raleigh, NC
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Medical Laboratory Technician Work in Raleigh
Three competing health systems in one county means three hospital core labs in Raleigh, each running around the clock. WakeMed's Level I trauma center on New Bern Avenue, UNC REX Hospital on Lake Boone Trail inside the Beltline, and Duke Raleigh Hospital on Wake Forest Road near North Hills all need techs on nights, evenings and weekends. UNC REX alone runs the Rex Core Laboratory and a separate Rex Transfusion Services team near Crabtree Valley, and WakeMed staffs a second lab at Cary Hospital.
Job titles here vary more than the work does. WakeMed hires associate-degree MLT graduates under the title Medical Laboratory Scientist I, and UNC REX posts combined "Medical Technologist I / Medical Lab Technician" roles with a separate pay range for each. Read the education line, not just the title, before you skip a posting.
Top Raleigh Employers for Medical Laboratory Technicians
These Raleigh hospitals and labs hire medical laboratory technicians:
- UNC REX Healthcare - the Rex Core Laboratory off Lake Boone Trail and Rex Transfusion Services in Crabtree Valley hire MLTs on night and evening shifts.
- WakeMed - hires MLT associate-degree graduates as Medical Laboratory Scientist I at Cary Hospital and staffs Medical Technologist benches at the Raleigh Campus.
- Duke Raleigh Hospital - the Wake Forest Road hospital lab is a Wake Tech MLT clinical site and hires chemistry and specimen processing staff.
- Labcorp - runs a STAT testing lab in Raleigh and hires bench technologists who meet federal CLIA testing personnel rules.
Medical Laboratory Technician Salaries in Raleigh
- Entry level: about $21 to $25 an hour for newly certified MLTs.
- Experienced: roughly $25 to $30 an hour, the top of UNC REX's posted MLT range.
- Senior / next step: $30 to $38 an hour for techs who finish a bachelor's degree and move to Medical Technologist pay, based on UNC REX's MT range.
These are estimates. UNC REX lists $23.01 to $30.17 an hour for MLTs and $26.59 to $38.23 for MTs, and BLS May 2025 data puts the Raleigh-Cary median for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians combined at $28.73 an hour. ASCP certification, night and evening differentials, weekend rotations and blood bank or microbiology experience all push pay up.
How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technician in Raleigh
North Carolina does not license medical laboratory technicians, so there is no state board to apply to. Employers set the bar instead: an associate degree in medical laboratory technology and national certification, usually MLT (ASCP) or MLT (AMT), often within a year of hire. Wake Tech offers a NAACLS-accredited Medical Laboratory Technology associate degree at its Perry Health Sciences Campus in east Raleigh, with clinical rotations at WakeMed, Duke Raleigh, UNC REX and Labcorp, and graduates can sit for the ASCP Board of Certification exam. Program applications are due May 15 each year.
What the Job Involves
MLTs run patient samples through chemistry, hematology, urinalysis and coagulation analyzers, perform quality control and calibration, crossmatch blood in the transfusion service, review results for errors and call critical values to nurses and physicians. The work is precise, fast on a busy night, and logged in the lab information system.
Skills Employers Look For
- MLT (ASCP) or MLT (AMT) certification, or eligibility
- Quality control and instrument troubleshooting
- Accuracy under time pressure with STAT samples
- Blood bank and crossmatch experience
- Comfort with lab information systems
- Willingness to work nights, evenings and weekends
Career Path and Advancement
Many Raleigh MLTs start as phlebotomists or specimen processors, finish the Wake Tech degree, and step onto a hospital bench. From there the ladder runs to lead tech, a specialty bench such as transfusion or microbiology, and, with a bachelor's degree, Medical Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist roles at WakeMed, UNC REX and Duke. Lab supervisor and quality roles sit above that.
Related Careers in Raleigh
If lab work interests you, these related Raleigh roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical laboratory technician in North Carolina?
No. North Carolina does not license medical laboratory technicians. Raleigh hospitals require national certification instead, usually MLT (ASCP) or MLT (AMT), and many let new graduates start and certify within their first year.
How much do medical laboratory technicians make in Raleigh?
UNC REX posts an MLT hiring range of $23.01 to $30.17 an hour. Most newly certified techs start in the low to mid $20s, and experienced techs on evening or night shifts reach about $30.
What is the difference between an MLT and a medical technologist?
An MLT typically holds an associate degree, while a medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist holds a bachelor's degree. In Raleigh the two often share a bench and a job posting, but the bachelor's track carries a higher pay range at UNC REX.
What shifts do Raleigh hospital labs hire for?
Hospital labs run 24 hours a day, so nights, evenings and weekends are where most openings sit. UNC REX has posted a Core Lab night schedule of seven days on and seven days off, and a transfusion services evening shift with rotating weekends.
Where can I train to be an MLT near Raleigh?
Wake Tech's Medical Laboratory Technology associate degree at the Perry Health Sciences Campus is the local program. It is NAACLS-accredited, prepares graduates for the ASCP exam, and places students in clinical rotations at Triangle hospitals and Labcorp.
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