Director

Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director)

The leader who owns the administrative side of laboratory services for a health system or large institution — operations, finance, staffing, regulatory compliance, and the interface with executive leadership. Often partners with a laboratory medical director.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
I
E
C
R
S
A
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director)s
Job markets for Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director)s
Employment concentration · ~195 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director)

Most days tend to involve a mix of operational reviews, financial management, and regulatory work — meeting with section supervisors, joining quality and accreditation discussions (CAP, CLIA), and reviewing volume, turnaround time, and revenue metrics. You'll often spend part of the time on the workforce reality — recruiting and retaining technologists in a chronically tight labor market.

The hardest part is often the technical depth combined with operational pressures of running large laboratory operations. You'll typically partner with the medical director on practice questions while making operational and financial decisions that shape capacity, and you'll absorb pressure during outages or accreditation findings.

People who tend to thrive here are operationally rigorous, technically literate, and skilled at translating between clinical and administrative languages. The trade-off is the regulatory exposure and the workforce challenges that don't fade. If you find satisfaction in running a function whose accuracy and speed shape clinical decisions across the institution, this role can be quietly central in healthcare operations.

IndependenceHigh
Working ConditionsAbove avg
AchievementAbove avg
SupportAbove avg
RecognitionAbove avg
RelationshipsLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director)s (SOC 11-9121.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Career Growth OptionsBusiness Operations track →
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$80K–$208K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
101K
U.S. Employment
+3.7%
10yr Growth
9K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$71K$68K$65K$62K201920202021202220232024$62K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

ScienceReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingWritingSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingManagement of Personnel Resources
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
11-9121.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.