Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs in Minneapolis, MN
Medical laboratory technicians in Minneapolis run the blood counts, chemistry panels and cultures behind most diagnoses, in labs from HCMC downtown to the VA by Fort Snelling. Posted metro pay runs roughly $21 to $39 an hour by employer and experience. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to qualify.
Current medical laboratory technician Openings in Minneapolis, MN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Laboratory Technician Work in Minneapolis
Lab work in Minneapolis follows the hospitals. The Phillips medical campus on Chicago Avenue and East 28th Street holds Children's Minnesota and Abbott Northwestern, HCMC anchors downtown next to US Bank Stadium, the University of Minnesota medical district spans the East and West Banks, and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center sits at the south edge of the city on the Blue Line. Each runs round-the-clock testing, so evening, night and weekend shifts are a normal part of the job. Reference labs add daytime bench work; Quest Diagnostics posts MLT openings in suburban Apple Valley.
The metro employs about 3,000 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, with a median of $32.23 an hour across both levels, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota does not license lab staff, so national certification is what employers screen for.
Top Minneapolis Employers Hiring Medical Laboratory Technicians
These employers have posted or recruited for MLT roles in the Minneapolis area on their own career sites:
- Quest Diagnostics - the national reference lab posts MLT II bench roles in Apple Valley at $25.00 to $39.71 an hour, weekdays with rotating weekends.
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System - the medical center at One Veterans Drive hires certified MLTs at GS-5 to GS-6, $44,410 to $64,356 a year, in its Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service.
- Children's Minnesota - the pediatric system on Chicago Avenue recruits MLTs with an associate degree and ASCP or AMT certification for its hospital and clinic labs.
- Hennepin Healthcare - the HCMC Level 1 trauma center and its county clinics keep a dedicated laboratory tech careers track.
Medical Laboratory Technician Salaries in Minneapolis
- Entry level: about $21 to $27 an hour for newly certified MLTs, with federal starting grades at the low end.
- Experienced: roughly $28 to $34 an hour after a few years on the bench.
- Senior / specialist: $35 to $40 an hour for leads and techs with high-complexity experience.
These are estimates built from employer-posted ranges and DEED wage data. Certification, shift differentials for evenings and nights, and the move into high-complexity testing such as blood bank or microbiology all raise pay. Hospital labs add weekend and holiday premiums that reference labs on weekday schedules usually do not.
How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technician in Minneapolis
The standard route is an associate degree from a program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park offers a 60-credit AAS in Medical Laboratory Technology that ends with a clinical rotation and prepares you for the ASCP Board of Certification exam. Saint Paul College, at 235 Marshall Avenue, offers an AAS in Medical Laboratory Technician; its next cohort starts in fall 2027, with applications opening November 1, 2026. Minnesota has no state license for lab technicians, but employers expect national certification: the VA requires an MLT credential from ASCP, AMT or AAB, and others list ASCP as preferred.
What the Job Involves
MLTs receive and process specimens, run tests on automated analyzers in hematology, chemistry, urinalysis and coagulation, perform quality control, and enter results into the laboratory information system. They flag critical values to nurses and physicians, keep turnaround times on STAT orders, maintain and troubleshoot instruments, and follow CLIA, OSHA and infection-control rules. Some roles add phlebotomy or point-of-care testing.
Skills Employers Look For
- ASCP or AMT MLT certification, or eligibility to sit for it
- Hands-on experience with automated analyzers and quality control
- Accuracy and attention to detail under time pressure
- Laboratory information system and data entry skills
- Knowledge of CLIA, safety and specimen-handling rules
- Willingness to work evenings, nights or rotating weekends
Career Path and Advancement
Many Minneapolis MLTs start on a core lab bench or as a lab assistant, then add a specialty such as blood bank or microbiology. The biggest step is a bachelor's in medical laboratory science, which leads to medical technologist roles; the University of Minnesota runs a NAACLS-accredited MLS program on its Twin Cities campus. From there the ladder runs to lead tech, lab supervisor and quality or point-of-care coordinator at the metro's hospital systems.
Related Careers in Minneapolis
If lab work interests you, these related Minneapolis roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work as a medical lab technician in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota does not license clinical laboratory staff. Most employers still require or strongly prefer national certification, usually the ASCP Board of Certification MLT credential or AMT, and the Minneapolis VA requires one to be hired.
How much do medical lab technicians make in Minneapolis?
New MLTs generally start around $21 to $27 an hour, and experienced techs earn about $28 to $34. Quest Diagnostics has posted MLT II pay of $25.00 to $39.71 an hour in Apple Valley, and DEED puts the metro median for lab technologists and technicians combined at $32.23.
How long does it take to become an MLT?
About two years. North Hennepin Community College's AAS runs four semesters full time, ending with a clinical rotation, and Saint Paul College's AAS also finishes with a clinical semester. Graduates then sit for the national certification exam.
What is the difference between an MLT and a medical technologist?
An MLT holds an associate degree and performs routine and moderately complex testing. A medical technologist, or medical laboratory scientist, holds a bachelor's degree and handles high-complexity testing, troubleshooting and often supervision, with higher pay.
Do Minneapolis lab jobs require night or weekend shifts?
Hospital labs at HCMC, Children's and the VA run around the clock, so many openings are evenings, nights or rotating weekends, usually with a differential. Reference lab roles, such as Quest's Apple Valley bench, are more often weekday day shifts with some weekend rotation.
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