STEM OPT Laboratory Assistant Jobs
Laboratory Assistant roles in research labs, clinical facilities, and industrial settings qualify for STEM OPT when your degree aligns with a STEM-designated CIP code. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build hands-on lab experience while maintaining F-1 status.
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Under the general supervision of the PI, the Laboratory Assistant will engage in brain tumor research within the UCLA Neuro-Oncology Program in the Department of Neurology. Perform database searching for cohort generation and curation. Interface with BTTR for acquisition of tumor samples. Perform basic cell culture techniques, molecular techniques, such as sequencing. Prepare buffers, chemical agents, and other solutions as needed for research. Perform all other laboratory assistant functions including basic techniques, ordering of supplies, and general laboratory maintenance. Maintain meticulous laboratory notes and organize methods into concise protocols.
Hourly salary range: $26.23 - $30.93. Please note the department’s hourly target salary is $26.23.
This is a part-time, limited 1-year position. May convert to career.
Qualifications
Required:
- Excellent verbal and written English skills
- Demonstrative ability to work with close supervision
- Strong organizational skills and flexibility in responding to rapidly changing priorities and exceptionally diverse demands through constant interruptions in a fast-paced lab
- Excellent interpersonal skills to deal with and sustain cooperative working relationships with faculty and staff
- Demonstrative ability to learn rapidly and follow through tasks with details
- Demonstrative proficiency in Microsoft Word, and Excel
- Demonstrative skills using PC (or Mac) skills
Preferred:
- Working knowledge of DNA purification and PCR
- BS or BA in a biological, or chemical science
- Ability to learn new software programs
- Knowledge of University purchasing procedures and regulations
Description
Under the general supervision of the PI, the Laboratory Assistant will engage in brain tumor research within the UCLA Neuro-Oncology Program in the Department of Neurology. Perform database searching for cohort generation and curation. Interface with BTTR for acquisition of tumor samples. Perform basic cell culture techniques, molecular techniques, such as sequencing. Prepare buffers, chemical agents, and other solutions as needed for research. Perform all other laboratory assistant functions including basic techniques, ordering of supplies, and general laboratory maintenance. Maintain meticulous laboratory notes and organize methods into concise protocols.
Hourly salary range: $26.23 - $30.93. Please note the department’s hourly target salary is $26.23.
This is a part-time, limited 1-year position. May convert to career.
Qualifications
Required:
- Excellent verbal and written English skills
- Demonstrative ability to work with close supervision
- Strong organizational skills and flexibility in responding to rapidly changing priorities and exceptionally diverse demands through constant interruptions in a fast-paced lab
- Excellent interpersonal skills to deal with and sustain cooperative working relationships with faculty and staff
- Demonstrative ability to learn rapidly and follow through tasks with details
- Demonstrative proficiency in Microsoft Word, and Excel
- Demonstrative skills using PC (or Mac) skills
Preferred:
- Working knowledge of DNA purification and PCR
- BS or BA in a biological, or chemical science
- Ability to learn new software programs
- Knowledge of University purchasing procedures and regulations
See all 284+ STEM OPT Laboratory Assistant Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Laboratory Assistant Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Laboratory Assistant
Verify your degree's CIP code eligibility
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on the DHS STEM OPT designated degree program list. Biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and clinical laboratory science degrees typically qualify, but interdisciplinary or applied science programs sometimes carry non-STEM CIP codes that disqualify the extension.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before applying
Search the E-Verify employer search tool on the E-Verify website to confirm a lab's enrollment status before you invest time in the application process. Many smaller private research labs and clinical reference laboratories are not enrolled, which legally bars them from hiring STEM OPT students.
Match your I-983 training plan to lab duties
Your I-983 must list specific laboratory competencies your role develops, such as specimen handling, assay techniques, or instrument calibration, not vague descriptions. Employers who haven't hired STEM OPT students before often need your DSO's template to draft a compliant training plan tied to your degree's learning outcomes.
Target labs with established STEM OPT hiring
Use Migrate Mate to filter Laboratory Assistant openings by employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and prior STEM OPT hiring history. University-affiliated research labs, contract research organizations, and hospital systems with dedicated HR departments are the most likely to already have compliant onboarding workflows.
File your STEM OPT extension 90 days early
USCIS recommends filing your STEM OPT extension application at least 90 days before your initial OPT EAD expires. If your application is pending and your initial OPT end date passes, the automatic 180-day cap-gap extension keeps you authorized while USCIS adjudicates, but only if you filed on time.
Use OFLC Wage Search to benchmark your offer
Before accepting a Laboratory Assistant offer, run the position's SOC code through the OFLC Wage Search to see the prevailing wage for your metro area. Your STEM OPT training plan must document that your compensation and hours meet DOL requirements for bona fide employment, not just volunteer or stipend arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my STEM degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension as a Laboratory Assistant?
Your degree qualifies if its CIP code appears on the DHS STEM OPT designated degree program list. Biology, chemistry, biochemistry, medical laboratory science, and environmental science degrees commonly qualify. The job title itself doesn't determine eligibility; the match between your degree's CIP code and the DHS list does. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying.
Does a Laboratory Assistant employer have to be enrolled in E-Verify?
Yes. E-Verify enrollment is a federal requirement for any employer hiring a STEM OPT student, with no exceptions. Before accepting a Laboratory Assistant offer, verify the employer's enrollment status using the E-Verify employer search tool. Smaller private labs, independent clinical facilities, and some nonprofit research organizations are frequently not enrolled, which makes them ineligible to sponsor your extension.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Laboratory Assistant role?
Your I-983 must describe specific laboratory skills and knowledge your position develops that relate directly to your STEM degree. Examples include proficiency with analytical instruments, sample preparation techniques, quality control protocols, or data analysis methods tied to your field of study. Generic job descriptions won't satisfy the requirement. Your employer signs the form and your DSO reviews it before submission to USCIS.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if my Laboratory Assistant contract ends before my EAD expires?
You have a 150-day unemployment allowance across your entire post-completion OPT and STEM OPT period combined, with no more than 90 of those days occurring during the STEM OPT extension itself. If you exceed the unemployment limit, your F-1 status falls out of compliance. Start searching for a new E-Verify-enrolled employer immediately. Migrate Mate filters for eligible Laboratory Assistant openings by employers already enrolled in E-Verify.
Can I work as a Laboratory Assistant at a hospital or clinical lab on STEM OPT?
Yes, if the facility is enrolled in E-Verify and your role qualifies as bona fide employment with compensation meeting DOL standards. Hospital systems and large clinical reference laboratories are often already E-Verify enrolled. Your I-983 training plan must connect the clinical lab duties to your STEM degree field, such as linking specimen analysis work to a biology or medical science background.