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Singulariki

Histology Technicians

Occupation · SOC 29-2012.01

Prepare histological slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. May assist with research studies.

Also called: Histologic Technician (HT) · Histologist · Histology Technician (HT) · Histotechnician · Clinical Histology Technician (Clinical Histology Tech) · Histology Consultant · Histology Coordinator · Certified Histologic Technician (Certified Histologic Tech) · Histologic Aide · Histology Assistant · Histology Lab Assistant (Histology Laboratory Assistant) · Histology Laboratory Aide

Job family: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

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Download .md

A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch /roles/role-29-2012-01/context.md directly.

AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate 45th -0.1
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low 29th 0.3

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Historical automation estimate (2013)

A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.

Frey–Osborne probability 0.5 · 46th percentile among occupations · Moderate

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

31% mean task exposure (2025)
58th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
International occupation (ISCO-08) Task exposure (2025) Most tasks fall in
Medical and Pathology Laboratory Technicians · 3212 31% Minimal

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 8 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Emerging tasks

Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.

  • Load slides onto staining equipment.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Abilities

Near Vision 4.0
Finger Dexterity 3.8
Oral Comprehension 3.6
Deductive Reasoning 3.5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.5
Written Comprehension 3.4
Problem Sensitivity 3.4
Information Ordering 3.4
Category Flexibility 3.3
Manual Dexterity 3.3
Oral Expression 3.1
Written Expression 3.1
Inductive Reasoning 3.1
Control Precision 3.1
Speech Recognition 3.1
Speech Clarity 3.1
Selective Attention 3.0
Perceptual Speed 2.9
Reaction Time 2.9
Far Vision 2.9
Visual Color Discrimination 2.9

Knowledge

Chemistry 3.8
Biology 3.8
English Language 3.3
Administrative 3.0
Administration and Management 2.8

Essential skills

Active Listening 3.5
Critical Thinking 3.5
Reading Comprehension 3.4
Monitoring 3.3
Speaking 3.1
Science 3.1
Writing 3.0
Active Learning 2.9

Transferable skills

Complex Problem Solving 3.3
Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
Coordination 3.0
Time Management 3.0
Social Perceptiveness 2.9
Operations Monitoring 2.9

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Tools & technology

Example Category
MEDITECH software Medical software Hot technology
Microsoft Access Data base user interface and query software Hot technology
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology
Microsoft Office software Office suite software Hot technology
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software Hot technology
Microsoft Word Word processing software Hot technology
Brady Specimen Labeling System Label making software
Cerner Millennium Medical software
Laboratory information system LIS Medical software
Specimen labeling system software Label making software

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 4.9
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 4.9
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 4.8
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled 4.7
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 4.7
Exposed to Contaminants 4.6
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 4.5
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions 4.5
Time Pressure 4.5
E-Mail 4.4
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 4.3
Consequence of Error 4.3
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.1
Telephone Conversations 4.0
Health and Safety of Other Workers 4.0
Spend Time Sitting 4.0
Contact With Others 3.9
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment 3.9
Freedom to Make Decisions 3.6
Exposed to Disease or Infections 3.6
Physical Proximity 3.4
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 3.3
Frequency of Decision Making 3.3
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 3.2
Written Letters and Memos 3.1
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 3.0
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 3.0
Degree of Automation 3.0
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment 2.9
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 2.7
Conflict Situations 2.6
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 2.6
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 2.5
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body 2.5
Spend Time Standing 2.4
Level of Competition 2.3
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 2.2
Spend Time Walking or Running 2.1
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection 2.0
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions 2.0

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Preparation level
SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) 48.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate 16.0%
High School Diploma 12.0%
Some College Courses 12.0%
Bachelor's Degree 4.0%
First Professional Degree 4.0%
Doctoral Degree 4.0%

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Realistic 6.3
Investigative 5.4
Conventional 5.0
Social 2.1

Interest areas

Life Science 5.4
Medical Science 5.0
Health Care Service 4.4
Physical Science 3.0
Mechanics/Electronics 2.6
Physical/Manual Labor 2.1
Engineering 1.9
Information Technology 1.6

Work styles

Attention to Detail 3.0
Dependability 3.0
Cautiousness 2.1
Integrity 1.8
Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay AI task-overlap (horizontal) versus median pay (vertical) for 6 occupations adjacent to Histology Technicians. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Phlebotomists Endoscopy Technicians Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Radiologic Technologists and Technicians Biological Technicians AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Histology Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 58th percentile of 427 international occupations.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Histology Technicians sit at the 35th percentile of AI task overlap among U.S. occupations

  • Histology Technicians rank in the 35th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
Copy the whole kit
Histology Technicians sit at the 35th percentile of AI task overlap among U.S. occupations

• Histology Technicians rank in the 35th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)

Source: Singulariki — "Histology Technicians". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2012-01
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Histology Technicians." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2012-01

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Histology Technicians. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2012-01

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-29-2012-01,
  title  = {Histology Technicians},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2012-01}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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