LABORATORY ASSISTANT

Job Description:

LABORATORY ASSISTANT

Description

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
We encourage applications from everyone.

EXAM NUMBER

Y4976Z

FILING DATES:
The application filing period will begin June 4 , 2026 at 8:00 A.M. (PT) - Continuous.

We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

With more than 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California, over 116,000 employees in more than 38 Departments, we provide vital public services as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. The County has more than 2,300 different job descriptions, offering a lifetime of opportunities and careers! We offer one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the country. Join us and discover a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate to reach your fullest personal and professional potenti al.

If you have questions about working for LA County, including current open recruitments, tips on crafting a resume or acing an interview, career planning, or any other general information, please visit our website at https://hr.lacounty.gov/ .

To learn more about the outstanding benefits offered by Los Angeles County, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/.

MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing outstanding care.

Essential Job Functions

What does a Laboratory Assistant do?
Laboratory Assistants work in a laboratory setting, performing a variety of tasks such as logging in patient specimens, adding fixatives and preservatives to specimens, smearing specimens onto microscopic glass slides, transcribing laboratory tests results into a computer, preparing media and reagents, or assigning, training, and reviewing the work of a group of lower-level laboratory positions.

Essential duties include:

• Receives patient specimens such as blood, urine, feces, pulmonary fluids, gastro-intestinal fluids, body carry fluids, and sputum slides with standard laboratory request forms providing information such as patient's name and tests to be performed by licensed personnel; verifies patient's name and permanent file number by matching information on request form and specimen container.
  
• Prepares specimens for laboratory testing by adding fixatives or preservatives using a prescribed technique/instrument appropriate to the type of specimen.
  
  Processes specimens for subsequent analysis by certified professionals by performing duties such as making primary inoculations of test material to be cultured, and smearing and staining test specimens on laboratory glass slides and/or plates.
  
• Transcribes laboratory test results from laboratory reports/worksheets into a permanent log or computer; routes laboratory reports to patients' ward so medical personnel will be informed of laboratory findings.
  

For more information, please view the classification specification: Laboratory Assistant

Requirements

REQUIRMENTS TO QUALIFY:
Six (6) months' experience in laboratory work* in a public health, medical, or biological laboratory

Physical Class 3 - Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

Withhold information:

No withhold will be allowed. Required experience must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated within the materials provided.

No Out of Class experience will be accepted for this examination.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
Additional credit will be given to applicants who possess the following desirable qualification:

• Laboratory work experience in an Acute Care Hospital Laboratory** beyond the minimum requirements.
• Successful completion of chemistry, biology, or microbiology lecture and lab course(s) at an accredited college or university.
  

To receive credit for your education, you must include a legible copy of official transcripts from an accredited institution when applying or email the required document(s) to [email protected] within seven (7) calendar days of filing your application. Unofficial transcripts are not acceptable to fulfill the educational requirement. The document should show units and titles of course work in English; if it is in a foreign language, it should be translated and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards if not listed in the International Handbook of Universities or World Higher Education Database. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf .

Note: We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

*Laboratory work is defined: as experience accessioning and/or processing human specimens for diagnostic testing using general laboratory equipment (e.g., centrifuge, autoclave, scale, etc.)
** Work experience in an Acute Care Hospital Laboratory is defined as: Assists laboratory personnel in the performance of standard laboratory testing on human blood, body fluid, tissue, stool, urine, or other specimens in a hospital operating 24/7 that provides inpatient medical care and other related services for surgery, acute medical conditions, or injuries (usually for short-term illness or other conditions).

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:
This assessment type will evaluate the experience & education you list on a questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This part of the assessment is worth 100% of your total score and assesses: Requirements, Desirable Qualifications, and Supplemental Questionnaire.

Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the assessment to be added to the list.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:

Applicants who passed the assessment(s) are placed on an eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of six (6) months. Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the register accordingly. We will use this register to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services as they occur.

No person may participate in this examination more than once every six (6) months.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• [email protected]
• [email protected]

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries:
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

No Sharing of User ID, e-mail and Password:
All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend’s user ID and password may erase a candidate’s original application record.

Testing Accommodations for Applicants:
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/ .

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Health Services is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE

(323) 914-7111

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE

800-735-2922

DEPARTMENT CONTACT

Jessica Hernandez, Exam Analyst

(213) 288-7000

[email protected]

For detailed information, please click here

Salary:

$51,003.36 - $55,329.84 Annually