laboratory technician

{{Short description|Profession}}

{{One source|date=July 2019}}

File:Laboratory technician inoculates eggs in the process of producing rabies vaccine - Iran.jpg

A laboratory technician or (informally) lab tech is a person who works in a laboratory performing analytical or experimental procedures, maintaining laboratory equipment.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first use of the term laboratory technician was in 1896:{{Cite journal|date=1896|journal=St Louis Clinique|volume=9|pages=395}}

It [sc. a therapeutic property] is now totally abandoned by the advanced laboratory technicians.

The term is now widely accepted. Laboratory technicians are found in a wide range of scientific fields, including forensic science, pathology, chemistry, biomedical science and physics. Laboratory technicians may hold a range of formal academic qualifications, such as associate degrees, often obtained through vocational education. They are usually supervised by laboratory managers.{{cite web |url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/natural-sciences-managers.htm#tab-1 |title=Natural Sciences Managers |author= |date=September 8, 2022 |website=Occupational Outlook Handbook |publisher=U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date=October 23, 2022}}