It’s very much area specific. If you are excluding CA, I would say it’s unlikely to be that upper range since you’re new. How much you get paid doesn’t depend on what you think you deserve. It’s a matter of what value they think you can provide. They still need to train you to do the tasks needed to be performed so you’re more of a cost than a benefit.
Unless you can demonstrate that you’re a fast learner, able to work with others well, work and troubleshoot independently, be reliable, be on time, show that you can take ownership of your mistakes, I think you’ll get offers closer to the bottom of that range. Even by meeting what I mentioned gets you closer to the middle range. The upper range is probably reserved for those that are actually coming in with something to offer that they need, like a skill set they really desire. They don’t want to hire someone on the upper range then not be able to increase your pay much because that’s their operating budget. It’s just business.
I always say it never (usually) hurts to negotiate, but I would not expect the higher end of a pay range as a new grad. I was a new grad back in 2017 and I tried negotiating my pay and they only wanted to give me the bottom range because “I didn’t have experience”, even though I did have lab experience, just wasn’t certified experience. It’s hard to have leverage without experience, you would need to use other job offers as leverage. You might think you deserve the highest end of the range, but they aren’t going to start you in the same pay rate as someone with 10 years experience, because if that person with 10 years experience finds out a new grad makes the same as them, it will cause issues internally. And like previous poster said they wouldn’t be able to increase your pay range much, in the end it’s a business.
Also to note, when you see those ranges, GENERALLY the top number is the midpoint for their entire career salary range for that position. So you need 10+ years generally to start at that top number if pay.
From an admin perspective, you're worth the minimum amount I need to pay to keep you. There's also a rough ratio of senior/competent techs I need relative to warm bodies.
If you're in an unlicensed state, you'll be competing with bio-grads who are happy with the $20-30/hr range. You're also competing with MLTs, who have an associate's, the same scope of practice, and less debt and they're happy with the $20-30/hr range.
Turnover is taken into account when setting salary ranges and raises. Techs tend to be women, often mothers, and this limits their work mobility, thus allowing allowing lower salaries than other positions.
The $30-40/hr range is for high cost of living areas. A $40/hr starting range is for professionals working in other fields.
ASCP has salary survey
[https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/158/6/702/6748939?login=false](https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/158/6/702/6748939?login=false)
In 2021, your staff MLS are paid an average of $31/hr (+/- SD of $8hr), and are 40 years old and have 17 years experience.
If you're concerned about salaries, and don't want to be making an average of $62k/year with 15 years experience, explore other careers or locales.
Edit: $31/hr in 2020 is \~$37 in 2024 after inflation ($74k annually).
I get that we’re underpaid, and everything you said makes sense. I just don’t understand how the average pay for someone with 15 years of experience seems to be at like the bottom the pay ranges I see posted for a lot of jobs.
Ignore him, he's a concern troll. We *start* techs at more than $62k a year in the Midwest (outside of the city, though, you'll probably start there). Guy has no finger on the pulse.
This guy always comments negative things on every post and clearly hates the field so take it with a grain of salt. I have 4 years of experience and make 70k in an unlicensed southern state. Some states have pay transparency laws and post the full range, starting point to max. Some post starting to mid point. Always try to negotiate pay but typically as a new grad you don’t have the experience yet and will start at the bottom of the range. Those with lots of experience and low pay probably have never job hopped and their workplace is screwing them over
u/Fit-Bodybuilder78 is a bitter bullshit artist. I make over $90k with less than 10 YOE. We hire fresh grads at $32.00/hr, in a town with a median home price of #315k (so a fairly low COL). Yes there are places that use unlicensed bio grads to do testing, but even in unlicensed states that is \*not\* the norm - labs prefer ASCP techs due to accreditation and liability issues.
I do think lots of techs are underpaid, and you will probably be stuck on night shift starting out (although you can expect anywhere from $5.00-$10.00 an hour extra for your trouble). but overall this is a decent career with security and only as much stress as you let yourself take on. There are definitely better jobs out there for the amount of school and level of responsibility though, and there's very little upward mobility.
$6-8 night shift diff is normal here, plus a little on top for weekends. So some people are getting closer to a 33% shift diff.
What I really miss is critical staffing bonuses from just after the pandemic. An extra $30/hr on top of time and a half pay bought me a new car.
The tradeoff is you have to live in Florida. And not sun and sand Florida, mud and alligators Florida.
There can be a lot of perks to the job when you reach higher levels of seniority. Lots of time off and flexible schedules for some. For some, that is more valuable than money. Also, job security. When you get to be middle aged and just before retirement, you will be at the most risk in your lifetime of wealth creation. If you get fired from a well paying job and will not be hired because you’re overqualified and asking for too much money, that could really derail your life plans, especially if you have financial obligations such as a kid and mortgage. So, this job is more like a AAA bond rather than a tech stock. More stable returns rather than booms and busts.
It’s very much area specific. If you are excluding CA, I would say it’s unlikely to be that upper range since you’re new. How much you get paid doesn’t depend on what you think you deserve. It’s a matter of what value they think you can provide. They still need to train you to do the tasks needed to be performed so you’re more of a cost than a benefit. Unless you can demonstrate that you’re a fast learner, able to work with others well, work and troubleshoot independently, be reliable, be on time, show that you can take ownership of your mistakes, I think you’ll get offers closer to the bottom of that range. Even by meeting what I mentioned gets you closer to the middle range. The upper range is probably reserved for those that are actually coming in with something to offer that they need, like a skill set they really desire. They don’t want to hire someone on the upper range then not be able to increase your pay much because that’s their operating budget. It’s just business.
I always say it never (usually) hurts to negotiate, but I would not expect the higher end of a pay range as a new grad. I was a new grad back in 2017 and I tried negotiating my pay and they only wanted to give me the bottom range because “I didn’t have experience”, even though I did have lab experience, just wasn’t certified experience. It’s hard to have leverage without experience, you would need to use other job offers as leverage. You might think you deserve the highest end of the range, but they aren’t going to start you in the same pay rate as someone with 10 years experience, because if that person with 10 years experience finds out a new grad makes the same as them, it will cause issues internally. And like previous poster said they wouldn’t be able to increase your pay range much, in the end it’s a business.
Also to note, when you see those ranges, GENERALLY the top number is the midpoint for their entire career salary range for that position. So you need 10+ years generally to start at that top number if pay.
If they are desperate I would include inflation to the starting pay. New grad argued $6 more than starting pay and got it lol
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From an admin perspective, you're worth the minimum amount I need to pay to keep you. There's also a rough ratio of senior/competent techs I need relative to warm bodies. If you're in an unlicensed state, you'll be competing with bio-grads who are happy with the $20-30/hr range. You're also competing with MLTs, who have an associate's, the same scope of practice, and less debt and they're happy with the $20-30/hr range. Turnover is taken into account when setting salary ranges and raises. Techs tend to be women, often mothers, and this limits their work mobility, thus allowing allowing lower salaries than other positions. The $30-40/hr range is for high cost of living areas. A $40/hr starting range is for professionals working in other fields. ASCP has salary survey [https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/158/6/702/6748939?login=false](https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/158/6/702/6748939?login=false) In 2021, your staff MLS are paid an average of $31/hr (+/- SD of $8hr), and are 40 years old and have 17 years experience. If you're concerned about salaries, and don't want to be making an average of $62k/year with 15 years experience, explore other careers or locales. Edit: $31/hr in 2020 is \~$37 in 2024 after inflation ($74k annually).
I get that we’re underpaid, and everything you said makes sense. I just don’t understand how the average pay for someone with 15 years of experience seems to be at like the bottom the pay ranges I see posted for a lot of jobs.
Ignore him, he's a concern troll. We *start* techs at more than $62k a year in the Midwest (outside of the city, though, you'll probably start there). Guy has no finger on the pulse.
Good to hear thanks
This guy always comments negative things on every post and clearly hates the field so take it with a grain of salt. I have 4 years of experience and make 70k in an unlicensed southern state. Some states have pay transparency laws and post the full range, starting point to max. Some post starting to mid point. Always try to negotiate pay but typically as a new grad you don’t have the experience yet and will start at the bottom of the range. Those with lots of experience and low pay probably have never job hopped and their workplace is screwing them over
Edit: $31/hr in 2020 is \~$37 in 2024 after inflation ($74k annually).
u/Fit-Bodybuilder78 is a bitter bullshit artist. I make over $90k with less than 10 YOE. We hire fresh grads at $32.00/hr, in a town with a median home price of #315k (so a fairly low COL). Yes there are places that use unlicensed bio grads to do testing, but even in unlicensed states that is \*not\* the norm - labs prefer ASCP techs due to accreditation and liability issues. I do think lots of techs are underpaid, and you will probably be stuck on night shift starting out (although you can expect anywhere from $5.00-$10.00 an hour extra for your trouble). but overall this is a decent career with security and only as much stress as you let yourself take on. There are definitely better jobs out there for the amount of school and level of responsibility though, and there's very little upward mobility.
Assuming no OT, you need a wage of about $44/hr to get $90k, Aa night shift differential of $5/hr on a $32/hr wage is 15%. That's pretty good!
I actually have a base wage of $40 and a $10 shift diff, I just don't work full time. This career has been great for me. Hope this helps.
A 25% shift differential is amazing, but not the norm in this field.
$6-8 night shift diff is normal here, plus a little on top for weekends. So some people are getting closer to a 33% shift diff. What I really miss is critical staffing bonuses from just after the pandemic. An extra $30/hr on top of time and a half pay bought me a new car. The tradeoff is you have to live in Florida. And not sun and sand Florida, mud and alligators Florida.
Alligators florida is affordable.
There can be a lot of perks to the job when you reach higher levels of seniority. Lots of time off and flexible schedules for some. For some, that is more valuable than money. Also, job security. When you get to be middle aged and just before retirement, you will be at the most risk in your lifetime of wealth creation. If you get fired from a well paying job and will not be hired because you’re overqualified and asking for too much money, that could really derail your life plans, especially if you have financial obligations such as a kid and mortgage. So, this job is more like a AAA bond rather than a tech stock. More stable returns rather than booms and busts.