The 2024 PhD Board-Certified Clinical Chemist Compensation Survey

Area of Science:

• Laboratory Medicine
• Clinical Chemistry
• Healthcare Compensation

Background:

• Board-certified clinical chemists with PhDs are vital to laboratory medicine.
• Limited data exists on their total compensation and job satisfaction.
• The Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) conducted its fifth compensation survey in April 2024.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide updated data on salary, benefits, and job satisfaction for board-certified clinical chemists.
• To establish a benchmark for compensation in the field.

Main Methods:

• A 2024 compensation survey was distributed to doctoral-level ADLM members in the US and Canada (n=1576).
• Data collected included academic degree, board certification, experience, sector, total compensation, location, race/ethnicity, and sex.
• 291 respondents were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

• 92% of respondents were US-based, 90% held PhDs, and over half worked in academic, hospital, or healthcare systems.
• 86% of certified respondents held American Board of Clinical Chemistry (ABCC) certification.
• The median total compensation for ABCC-certified PhD clinical chemists in the US was $220,000–$229,000.

Conclusions:

• The 2024 survey indicates a continuing increase in compensation for board-certified PhD clinical chemists.
• This trend reflects their expertise and contributions to healthcare.
• The report is a resource for advocating for competitive compensation and benefits.