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Medical Laboratory Technician

Healthcare

Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

ScienceAllied Health

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts.
  2. 2Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer.
  3. 3Analyze the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices.
  4. 4Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment.
  5. 5Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis.
  6. 6Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures.
  7. 7Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.
  8. 8Consult with a pathologist to determine a final diagnosis when abnormal cells are found.
  9. 9Perform medical research to further control or cure disease.
  10. 10Test raw materials, processes, or finished products to determine quality or quantity of materials or characteristics of a substance.
  11. 11Collect blood or tissue samples from patients, observing principles of asepsis to obtain blood sample.
  12. 12Analyze and record test data to issue reports that use charts, graphs, or narratives.
  13. 13Supervise or instruct other technicians or laboratory assistants.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • MLT
  • Lab Tech
  • Blood Typer
  • Biotechnician
  • Clinical Tech
  • Lab Assistant
  • Research Tech
  • Specimen Tech
  • Histologic Aide
  • Histotechnician

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

ChemistryDraws directly on Chemistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Chemistry75%

    Chemistry

  • Biology75%

    BiologyAdditional Science

  • English Language72%

    English

  • Mathematics70%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Customer and Personal Service70%
  • Public Safety and Security69%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time walking or movingA little
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsAlmost all the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Perform quality control analyses to ensure accuracy of test results.
  • Load slides onto staining equipment.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Medical Laboratory Technologist

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue