Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs for OPT Students
Medical Laboratory Technician jobs on OPT require employers comfortable sponsoring STEM-eligible roles. MLT positions often qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension when tied to a relevant degree in clinical laboratory science or a related field. Most hiring happens through hospital networks, reference labs, and diagnostic companies.
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Get Access To All JobsPay Range:
$24.31 - $36.47
A successful candidate's actual pay rate will be based on several factors including relevant experience, skills, training, certifications and education.
Under general supervision, performs routine tests in medical laboratory to provide data for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, ensuring validity and accuracy of test results. Analysis performed may range from routine to complex testing, involving all major areas of the clinical laboratory and creating reports for findings.
Education Qualifications
- Associate's degree required and successful completion of a National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) accredited medical laboratory technician program, OR
- Associate’s degree and at least 60 academic credit hours including 6 hours chemistry and 6 hours biology and successful completion of a 50 week US military medical laboratory training course, OR Associates degree and at least 60 academic credit hours including 6 hours chemistry and 6 hours biology and 3 years full time lab experience in an accredited laboratory within the last 10 years.
- Physician Enterprise: Associates degree in Laboratory Sciences (including chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory) is required.
Experience Qualifications
- Experience in an accredited lab is preferred.
Certifications, Licenses and Registrations
- Medical Technician or Medical Laboratory Technician or eligibility for certification by a nationally recognized certifying agency such as:
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA)
- American Medical Technologies (AMT)
- Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW)
- or other laboratory certifying agency is required.
Certification must be received within 180 days of hire. Colleagues hired prior to January 1, 2017 are exempt from this requirement.
Physician Enterprise: Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) certification is preferred.
Scheduled Weekly Hours:
36
Throughout communities in Illinois and Wisconsin, 13 hospitals, numerous community-based health centers and clinics, our 13,000+ colleagues have built a culture based on our solid core values of respect, care, competence, and joy. These are the ideals we believe in, work by, and live each day.
Built upon more than 145 years of service to the communities we serve, we now look to the future and our place in it as a health care system that strives to continually improve processes, procedures, and outcomes with the latest and most advanced technologies and treatments.
Regardless of how far our passion for excellence carries us, our focus will always remain on the most important person in our entire organization: The patient.
Benefits:
HSHS provides a benefits package designed to support the overall well-being of our colleagues including their physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, and work health. Colleagues budgeted to work at least 32 hours per pay period are eligible for HSHS benefits.
- Comprehensive and affordable health coverage includes medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage for full-time and part-time colleagues.
- Paid Time Off (PTO) combines vacation, sick, and personal days into one balance to allow you the flexibility to use your time off as you need.
- Retirement benefits including HSHS contributions.
- Education Assistance benefits include up to $5,250 of educational assistance each calendar year and tuition discounts to select colleges with no waiting period.
- Adoption Assistance provides financial support up to $7,500 for colleagues growing their families through adoption to reimburse application and legal fees, transportation, and more!
- Other benefits include: Wellness program with incentives, employer-paid life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, ID theft coverage, colleague rewards and recognition program, discount program, and more!
HSHS and affiliates is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
HSHS is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.
Pay Range:
$24.31 - $36.47
A successful candidate's actual pay rate will be based on several factors including relevant experience, skills, training, certifications and education.
Under general supervision, performs routine tests in medical laboratory to provide data for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, ensuring validity and accuracy of test results. Analysis performed may range from routine to complex testing, involving all major areas of the clinical laboratory and creating reports for findings.
Education Qualifications
- Associate's degree required and successful completion of a National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) accredited medical laboratory technician program, OR
- Associate’s degree and at least 60 academic credit hours including 6 hours chemistry and 6 hours biology and successful completion of a 50 week US military medical laboratory training course, OR Associates degree and at least 60 academic credit hours including 6 hours chemistry and 6 hours biology and 3 years full time lab experience in an accredited laboratory within the last 10 years.
- Physician Enterprise: Associates degree in Laboratory Sciences (including chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory) is required.
Experience Qualifications
- Experience in an accredited lab is preferred.
Certifications, Licenses and Registrations
- Medical Technician or Medical Laboratory Technician or eligibility for certification by a nationally recognized certifying agency such as:
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA)
- American Medical Technologies (AMT)
- Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW)
- or other laboratory certifying agency is required.
Certification must be received within 180 days of hire. Colleagues hired prior to January 1, 2017 are exempt from this requirement.
Physician Enterprise: Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) certification is preferred.
Scheduled Weekly Hours:
36
Throughout communities in Illinois and Wisconsin, 13 hospitals, numerous community-based health centers and clinics, our 13,000+ colleagues have built a culture based on our solid core values of respect, care, competence, and joy. These are the ideals we believe in, work by, and live each day.
Built upon more than 145 years of service to the communities we serve, we now look to the future and our place in it as a health care system that strives to continually improve processes, procedures, and outcomes with the latest and most advanced technologies and treatments.
Regardless of how far our passion for excellence carries us, our focus will always remain on the most important person in our entire organization: The patient.
Benefits:
HSHS provides a benefits package designed to support the overall well-being of our colleagues including their physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, and work health. Colleagues budgeted to work at least 32 hours per pay period are eligible for HSHS benefits.
- Comprehensive and affordable health coverage includes medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage for full-time and part-time colleagues.
- Paid Time Off (PTO) combines vacation, sick, and personal days into one balance to allow you the flexibility to use your time off as you need.
- Retirement benefits including HSHS contributions.
- Education Assistance benefits include up to $5,250 of educational assistance each calendar year and tuition discounts to select colleges with no waiting period.
- Adoption Assistance provides financial support up to $7,500 for colleagues growing their families through adoption to reimburse application and legal fees, transportation, and more!
- Other benefits include: Wellness program with incentives, employer-paid life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, ID theft coverage, colleague rewards and recognition program, discount program, and more!
HSHS and affiliates is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
HSHS is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Medical Laboratory Technician
Confirm your degree qualifies for STEM OPT
Clinical laboratory science, medical laboratory science, and biology degrees commonly appear on the STEM OPT designated degree list. Verify your specific CIP code with your DSO before applying, so you can confidently tell employers you're eligible for 24 months of additional work authorization.
Target hospital systems and large reference labs
Large employers like hospital networks and national reference laboratories have established HR processes for work authorization. They sponsor OPT more reliably than small independent clinics, which often lack the infrastructure to navigate employment verification and immigration compliance requirements.
Highlight ASCP or AMT certification progress
Many employers require or strongly prefer ASCP Board of Certification credentials. Mentioning that you're exam-eligible or already certified signals professional readiness and reduces perceived risk for sponsors who worry about hiring someone still building clinical qualifications.
Address OPT proactively in your cover letter
State your OPT start date, expiration, and STEM extension eligibility upfront. Hiring managers in healthcare often confuse OPT with H-1B sponsorship. A clear, one-paragraph explanation prevents your application from being filtered out before a recruiter reads your credentials.
Apply during hospital budget cycles
Hospital hiring tends to cluster around the start of fiscal years, typically October and January. Submitting applications in the months before these windows improves your chances of landing interviews when departments have approved headcount and are actively authorized to hire.
Emphasize compliance and accuracy in your resume
MLT roles are regulated environments where documentation errors carry real consequences. Framing your experience around quality control, CAP or CLIA compliance, and result accuracy addresses the specific hiring concerns that come up in laboratory settings, especially for candidates still on temporary work authorization.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Medical Laboratory Technician jobs typically qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
MLT roles can qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree falls under an eligible CIP code, such as clinical laboratory science or a related biological science field. The extension is tied to your degree, not the job title itself, so verify your CIP code with your DSO before assuming eligibility. Your employer must also participate in E-Verify.
How do I find MLT employers willing to hire OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for OPT-friendly employers, which saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering authorization issues late in the process. Hospital systems, national reference laboratories, and large diagnostic companies are the most consistent sponsors. Smaller independent labs and physician-owned clinics are less likely to have established OPT hiring processes.
Can I work as a Medical Laboratory Technician on pre-completion OPT?
Yes, pre-completion OPT allows you to work part-time during your program or full-time during official breaks. However, most MLT positions require full-time availability due to shift scheduling and training commitments, so post-completion OPT is the more practical authorization period for this role. Any pre-completion hours used reduce your post-completion OPT time dollar-for-dollar.
Does an MLT role count as work in my field of study for OPT compliance?
Yes, as long as your degree is in clinical laboratory science, medical laboratory technology, biology, or a closely related field. SEVP requires that OPT employment be directly related to your major area of study. If your degree is in an unrelated field, the role may not satisfy OPT requirements, which creates a compliance risk you should discuss with your DSO before accepting an offer.
What happens to my OPT authorization if my MLT employer loses accreditation or closes?
Your OPT authorization is tied to maintaining employment in your field, not to a specific employer. If your employer closes or loses accreditation, you have a 90-day unemployment buffer during your OPT period to find a new qualifying position. Report the job change to your DSO promptly and update your SEVIS record. Extended gaps beyond 90 days total risk your OPT status.
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