How to Become a Lab Manager or Supervisor

November 8, 2024

If you have a passion for science and want to work closely with people, a lab manager role may be the perfect fit for you. This role combines technical and managerial skills to ensure that a lab runs smoothly. Read on to discover how to become a lab manager or supervisor, what day-to-day duties are involved, and how we can help you achieve your goals at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology.

What a Lab Manager Career Looks Like

Lab managers that are successful run their labs with efficiency and safety as primary focuses. Managers take responsibility for all aspects, which include overseeing supplies, software, employees, equipment, and documentation. A lab manager has many different responsibilities, and these responsibilities can shift depending on place of employment.

While specific duties can vary, here are some responsibilities you can expect as part of a lab manager career:

Maintaining lab equipment and managing supplies
Ensuring compliance with protocols and safety regulations
Overseeing lab operations and workflows
Keeping documentation up to date
Handling finances
Managing lab personnel, including hiring, training, and performance aspects
Implementing quality control measures
Coordinating research experiments

Skills Necessary for Becoming a Lab Manager or Supervisor

While the role of a lab manager can vary as mentioned above, there are certain skills that are essential to effectively manage the complexities of a lab:

Attention to detail – To become a lab supervisor, you need to be detail oriented. The smallest of errors can compromise a lot in a lab setting, so ensuring protocols are being followed and data is accurately being recorded is crucial.
Communication – Having good communication with people in various roles creates a sense of trust and helps build positive relationships. As a manager, you want to increase employee morale and create a positive, successful working atmosphere.
Problem solving – In a lab manager career, you’ll deal with new things every day in the lab. This means you may have to think outside the box when it comes to solutions.
Leadership – This goes without saying, but as a manager you need to have leadership qualities to effectively oversee your team. You will need to be able to lead your team to their goals and give them the support they need to feel confident in their roles.
Organization – As a lab supervisor or manager, you will be in charge of a lot aspects, which will necessitate many requests, meetings, and emails. It’s important to be an organized individual within the lab supervisor career path so that you don’t get overwhelmed and can handle the amount of work on your plate.

Steps to Become a Lab Supervisor

After you develop or strengthen the skills listed above, you may wonder what the further steps to becoming a lab supervisor include. In short, your journey starts with finding an education program that suits you.

Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Science

In order to work your way up to becoming a lab supervisor, you need to begin by getting the proper education. At P.I.T., we are proud to offer a Bachelor of Health Science (BHS), an undergraduate program that allows students to tailor their educational journey based on their specific goals and interests.

Our degree prepares students for a job in the industry via many pathways. By choosing our program, you’ll reap benefits such as:

Financial aid opportunities – Roughly 96% of students receive some sort of financial aid, and we provide advisors for financial aid to work closely with students through the application process.
Expert faculty – Our students have the ability to work and learn alongside healthcare professionals who possess extensive experience in clinical settings.
Job placement opportunities – For each student, we offer personalized job placement services to help them find exciting opportunities. Some of our services include résumé and cover letter assistance, job search coaching, interview techniques, and more.
College transfer capabilities – Our school has transfer agreements with select colleges to help facilitate efficient transfer processes. Our priority is ensuring each credit earned is maximized while minimizing the cost.

Gain Experience

After you’ve chosen a specialty in your field, you can seek out a role to gain some initial experience. Getting that hands-on experience is vital to becoming a lab manager. Some other ways to gain some experience can be done through taking research assistant positions or internships.

FAQs on Becoming a Lab Supervisor

What should I know about the lab industry?

This field will always have a need as it plays a vital role in patient care and is rapidly growing. According to WebFX, each year U.S. healthcare providers order over 14 billion tests, which just showcases how important labs are in the field of healthcare. Also, roughly 60-80% of medical decisions are based on lab test results.

How many years of experience are needed for a lab supervisor role?

Typically, you can expect that 3-5 years of lab experience are needed. Of course, this number may be different for each job you apply for, so it’s important to do your research before applying.

What is the average salary of a lab manager?

While it can vary based on location or employer, you can typically expect to make approximately $90,000 a year.

Do I need certifications to work as a Lab Supervisor?

While not all roles require a certificate, they can definitely be beneficial in showcasing your competency. Some key certifications that you may want to look into include:

What sort of challenges can I expect to see as a lab supervisor?

Some challenges you can expect to see in your lab manager career include dealing with inefficient workflows, undertaking time-consuming manual tasks, waiting out instrument downtime, and more.

Do lab managers work regular hours?

Lab managers or supervisors often work typical business hours, but in facilities that operate all the time such as hospitals, shift work or being on-call may be required.

Get Started on Your Lab Supervisor Career Today

If you’re interested in how to become a lab supervisor or manager, the journey starts with applying. Our program can help you succeed as a lab manager and create a strong foundation for your future. Of course, if you have any questions, please be sure to reach out to us today!