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Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD · Public · Associate Degree · Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
59 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
58
Strong Growth
59
Base Case
56
Conservative
Earnings $47,512/yr (20% vs median)
AI-Proof Resilient (76% shielded)
Job Market Large (79,700 openings/yr)

Future-Proof Earnings

Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates.

Strong Growth
Full Stability		 Base Case
Moderate Changes		 Conservative
Max Disruption
10-Year Earnings $545K $497K $419K
Earnings Multiple 40.5x 37.0x 31.2x
Viable Career Paths 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6
TradeSchoolWorth Score 58 59 56

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.

Program Tuition
$13,436

Career Paths

Where Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 79,700 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI-Proof
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $105,620 27,400 +17.3% 52%
Surgical technologists $62,830 7,000 +4.5% 93%
Health technologists and technicians, all other $48,790 13,600 +5.2% 48%
Medical equipment preparers $46,490 10,900 +10.0% 89%
Phlebotomists $43,660 18,400 +5.6% 82%
Ophthalmic laboratory technicians $38,420 2,400 +2.3% 91%

Compare & Explore

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research Overview

View all 146 schools offering Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research →

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at Other Schools

Community College of Philadelphia ($74,011) Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences ($68,940) Springfield Technical Community College ($66,182) University of North Dakota ($65,073) Arapahoe Community College ($63,746) Carolinas College of Health Sciences ($62,885) Hillsborough Community College ($61,237) Phoenix College ($59,829)

Other Majors at Lake Area Technical College

Construction Engineering Technologies ($75,253) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($66,233) Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians ($60,085) Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies ($47,080) Precision Metal Working ($43,436) Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants ($42,160) Agricultural Business and Management ($41,340) Criminal Justice and Corrections ($41,230)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at Lake Area Technical College?
This program scores 59/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 56 (conservative) to 58 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $419,102 (conservative) to $544,671 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates?
The career paths mapped to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research have roughly 79,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at Lake Area Technical College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 37.0x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 31.2x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2026.