Best Cities for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicianss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where clinical laboratory technologists and technicianss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	New YorkState	1.37	$97,280	$86,471	23%
2	OregonState	1.28	$83,010	$80,592	23%
3	VermontState	1.22	$78,680	$76,761	22%
4	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.22	$83,010	$77,004	26%
5	MinnesotaState	1.21	$74,440	$75,959	21%
6	New HampshireState	1.21	$81,020	$76,434	23%
7	Rhode IslandState	1.20	$75,780	$75,403	24%
8	IllinoisState	1.17	$71,950	$73,871	22%
9	West VirginiaState	1.17	$61,810	$73,409	16%
10	MassachusettsState	1.16	$79,120	$72,922	34%
11	OhioState	1.12	$63,800	$70,575	20%
12	WyomingState	1.12	$65,510	$70,441	18%
13	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.12	$84,870	$70,607	44%
14	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.11	$79,480	$70,026	39%
15	KansasState	1.10	$62,050	$68,944	20%
16	CaliforniaState	1.09	$76,010	$68,663	36%
17	KentuckyState	1.09	$60,880	$68,791	19%
18	MaineState	1.09	$68,690	$68,828	23%
19	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.09	$78,170	$68,390	34%
20	DelawareState	1.08	$68,630	$67,950	24%
21	MissouriState	1.08	$60,300	$68,059	21%
22	North DakotaState	1.08	$62,680	$67,689	19%
23	TennesseeState	1.08	$62,070	$67,836	24%
24	WashingtonState	1.08	$72,760	$67,810	31%
25	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.08	$65,530	$67,696	30%
26	MontanaState	1.07	$65,190	$67,624	21%
27	South DakotaState	1.07	$60,890	$67,059	19%
28	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.07	$65,060	$67,630	29%
29	ColoradoState	1.06	$70,050	$66,461	32%
30	District of ColumbiaState	1.06	$76,560	$66,982	33%
31	GeorgiaState	1.06	$62,180	$66,574	27%
32	Columbus, OHMetro	1.06	$62,240	$66,567	25%
33	MichiganState	1.05	$61,260	$66,371	22%
34	NebraskaState	1.05	$60,540	$66,164	21%
35	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.05	$61,010	$66,315	26%
36	WisconsinState	1.04	$60,670	$65,731	21%
37	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.04	$65,210	$65,538	27%
38	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$62,360	$65,094	29%
39	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.03	$58,910	$64,594	25%
40	North CarolinaState	1.02	$60,650	$64,248	26%
41	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.01	$59,230	$63,825	26%
42	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.01	$62,550	$63,503	33%
43	IndianaState	1.00	$57,080	$63,072	22%
44	New JerseyState	1.00	$68,450	$62,914	32%
45	TexasState	0.99	$59,290	$62,019	28%
46	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.99	$70,300	$62,323	34%
47	ArizonaState	0.98	$62,530	$61,972	29%
48	IowaState	0.97	$54,260	$60,830	21%
49	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.97	$59,280	$60,988	32%
50	ConnecticutState	0.96	$65,310	$60,697	29%
51	LouisianaState	0.96	$54,460	$60,444	23%
52	OklahomaState	0.96	$53,300	$60,226	22%
53	FloridaState	0.95	$60,510	$59,616	34%
54	HawaiiState	0.95	$66,020	$60,018	43%
55	MississippiState	0.95	$50,640	$59,717	21%
56	South CarolinaState	0.95	$55,280	$60,087	27%
57	VirginiaState	0.94	$61,050	$58,986	31%
58	AlaskaState	0.93	$60,950	$58,437	27%
59	MarylandState	0.93	$63,690	$58,324	32%
60	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.92	$67,430	$57,880	40%
61	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.92	$59,790	$57,768	32%
62	ArkansasState	0.91	$49,670	$57,555	21%
63	NevadaState	0.91	$57,320	$57,206	30%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$61,970	$57,115	39%
65	AlabamaState	0.90	$49,440	$56,762	23%
66	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.87	$57,930	$54,754	35%
67	PennsylvaniaState	0.85	$51,680	$53,278	30%
68	New MexicoState	0.82	$47,360	$51,478	27%
69	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.82	$47,610	$51,470	30%
70	IdahoState	0.78	$47,450	$49,171	30%
71	UtahState	0.78	$49,090	$48,992	36%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).