Also called: PA(ASCP)
Examines and dissects surgical specimens and performs autopsies under a pathologist's supervision.
Receives a tumor straight from the operating room, measures and describes it, inks the edges, and slices it into tiny sections for microscope slides. Also helps with autopsies. Rarely heard of, well paid, and in demand.
Estimate from professional salary surveys.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in science plus a 2-year master's pathologists' assistant program and ASCP certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Anatomy, Pathologists' Assistant (MS).
Growing much faster than average. Growing faster than programs can graduate students.
Low risk for 10 years. Digital pathology and AI help pathologists read slides; grossing and dissecting fresh specimens stays precise hands-on work.
Classes: AP Biology, Anatomy & physiology, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.