Industry Insights
How to Solve the Laboratory Industry's Staffing Shortage Problem
August 14, 2025
Editor’s Note: This Industry Insights article was first published on September 22, 2022.
Addressing the Lab Industry’s Talent Shortage Head-On
Brian Fitzgerald, a skilled writer and regular contributor to LigoLab.com, recently interviewed Dr. James Crawford to explore one of the laboratory industry’s most pressing challenges: a severe shortage of qualified medical laboratory technologists.
In their discussion, Dr. Crawford examined both the scope of the problem and potential solutions. The result was an insightful, in-depth article worthy of industry-wide attention. Recognizing an opportunity to broaden its reach, Brian and LigoLab shared the piece with Clinical Lab Products for publication.
Continue reading for an executive summary of the article.
The Growing Crisis: Shortage of Clinical Laboratory Technicians
The U.S. clinical laboratory industry is facing one of its most urgent challenges: a severe shortage of qualified laboratory professionals. Factors contributing to this shortage include limited training programs, poor public awareness of the profession, lack of career advancement opportunities, non-competitive salaries, and an aging workforce that is retiring faster than new workers enter the field.
Clinical laboratory professionals, including technologists, histotechnologists, and cytotechnologists, play an essential role in healthcare. They perform approximately 14 billion tests annually across more than 260,000 CLIA-certified labs, supporting nearly every stage of patient care. Despite representing only 3% of total U.S. healthcare spending, laboratory services are critical to diagnosis and treatment.
The Scope of the Problem
The industry is short an estimated 20,000–25,000 laboratory technologists, with only one technologist per 1,000 U.S. citizens, a 7% shortfall that is projected to worsen. Dr. James Crawford of Northwell Health emphasizes that many potential candidates are simply unaware of the profession, as it receives far less public attention than other healthcare roles, such as nursing or physician assistant positions. High school and college counselors rarely promote laboratory careers, and recruitment often depends on personal connections.
Barriers to Attracting New Talent
Crawford argues that recruitment efforts must include better publicity, clearer career growth pathways, and competitive compensation. The profession’s “mature” demographic means leadership succession is critical, yet the perception of stagnant career opportunities, such as spending decades in the same role, discourages younger workers. Career ladders leading to management, director-level, or executive positions must be highlighted.
Salaries for laboratory professionals remain lower than those in many other healthcare roles (even though earning a medical laboratory science degree costs about $100,000). Unless these pay gaps are addressed, the profession risks losing qualified candidates to fields that offer higher compensation.
Improving Efficiency and Retention
Beyond workforce development, Crawford stresses process improvement and technology adoption to ease staffing pressures. By standardizing equipment, laboratory information systems (LIS software), procedures, and competencies across networks, such as Northwell Health’s 23 hospitals and 800+ ambulatory sites, labs can increase efficiency and adjust to demand without compromising service.
Operational informatics can align staffing with peak specimen intake, reducing stress points. Identifying and minimizing non-productive tasks for highly trained staff can also maximize productivity.
The Role of IT and Modern LIS Systems
Technology plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenge. A modern medical LIS can streamline operations by automating workflows, reducing manual data entry, minimizing errors, and enhancing interoperability with EHRs, instruments, and third-party services. These advanced platforms also enable customizable reporting, support multiple delivery channels, and often integrate lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) systems to initiate and streamline lab billing right from order entry.
By reducing reliance on skilled staff for repetitive tasks and offering 24/7 support, an advanced laboratory information system can serve as the lab’s information backbone, freeing personnel for higher-value work and improving operational performance.
Discover More: Best Pathology Lab Reporting Software - Buyers Guide and Checklist
Looking Ahead
Crawford remains optimistic, viewing the workforce shortage as a call to action. He believes that by raising awareness, improving career pathways, offering competitive salaries, and leveraging modern laboratory software systems, the laboratory profession can attract the next generation of leaders. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the role of laboratories in delivering high-quality healthcare while inspiring future professionals to join and lead the field.
Read the full CLP article by clicking on the link below:
CLP Article: The Causes and Potential Solutions for the Current Shortage of Clinical Laboratory Technologists
Learn More About the Expert
Dr. James Crawford, MD, PhD
Senior Vice President, Laboratory Services, Northwell Health
Crawford has built a distinguished career as a champion for pathology and the clinical laboratory profession, working tirelessly to ensure these critical services play a central role in the future of patient-centered healthcare. As a founding member of Project Santa Fe, he has been instrumental in advancing the Clinical Laboratory 2.0 initiative, which urges laboratories to transition from traditional transactional payment models to value-based approaches that deliver improved patient outcomes.
A prolific contributor to the field, Crawford has authored 300+ publications and currently serves as editor-in-chief of Academic Pathology, the official journal of the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC). In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the APC’s Distinguished Service Award in 2021.
Crawford earned his MD and PhD from Duke University School of Medicine. He completed his post-graduate training in anatomic and gastrointestinal pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in hepatic pathology at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Learn More About the Author
Fitzgerald is a seasoned healthcare and technology writer with over 20 years of experience exploring the intersection of medical science and innovation.
How Advanced LIS Systems Drive Efficiency and Profitability in Modern Medical Laboratories
Advanced laboratory information systems (medical LIS platforms) are essential tools for modern clinical laboratories and pathology groups, enabling them to operate with greater efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. By automating much of laboratory workflow management, these LIS systems significantly reduce the need for manual data entry, minimize human error, and accelerate turnaround times. They seamlessly integrate with electronic health records (EHRs), instruments, and third-party services (such as lab billing software), ensuring smooth data exchange and eliminating bottlenecks in communication.
A key advantage of advanced LIS software platforms is their ability to standardize processes across multiple locations, enabling consistent quality and performance in large lab networks. Customizable reporting and flexible result delivery options improve client satisfaction, while built-in business intelligence tools offer real-time visibility into operational metrics. This allows labs to identify inefficiencies, track performance, and make data-driven decisions that enhance productivity.
When integrated with lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) modules, advanced LIS systems initiate laboratory billing at the order entry stage, leading to faster reimbursements, fewer denials, and improved cash flow. By combining automation, interoperability, and financial optimization, these LIS healthcare platforms allow laboratories to scale services, control costs, and remain competitive in a challenging healthcare environment.
Case Study: In-House vs. Outsourced Laboratory Billing – Navigating the Best Path Forward for Your Lab
Ultimately, advanced LIS systems transform labs into agile, data-driven organizations capable of delivering higher-quality care while maximizing operational and financial performance.
