Do you think salaries for laboratory professionals are adequate? Why or why not?

It depends on which professionals you are talking about.

Phlebotomists, lab assistants, cytotechs, PA's and pathologists: yeah, they get paid about right.

MLTs and MTs: Not at all.

I think that depends. I've worked in South Carolina, and I don't think the MTs, MLTs, or even the phlebotomists were compensated enough. I now work in Louisiana, and I'll have to say that where I work, I get paid well. I think it really does depend on the hospital. Not all hospitals pay their lab personnel the same. Factor in also the shift and weekend differential. Some hospitals offer a competitive differential, but some don't.

Our staff are paid about the same as at other labs in the area, but our clerical staff aren't paid nearly enough to compensate them for their responsibilities. They are our line of defense against mislabeled specimens, wrong test orders and billing irregularities. They spend a lot of time on the phone resolving issues and tactfully explaining to clinicians what we can do and how we can do it. They know contact information for everyone from building maintenance and IT people in our organization, to oncologists at other hospitals. And they aliquot our reference specimens too. They deserve far more than half of what I make as an MT.