LABORATORY ASSISTANT
Salary
$51,003.36 - $55,329.84 Annually
Location
Los Angeles County, CA
Job Type
Full time
Job Number
Y4976Z
Department
HEALTH SERVICES
Opening Date
06/04/2026
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 potential.
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 patients name and tests to be performed by licensed personnel; verifies patients 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.
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:
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 jhernandezgutierrez@dhs.lacounty.gov 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:
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 employers 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 applicants 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.
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
jhernandezgutierrez@dhs.lacounty.gov
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement:
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.
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/.
Fair Chance:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Employment Eligibility:
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder:
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.
Veteran's Credit:
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran's credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf
Revised September 2025
For detailed information, please click here
01
The information you provide on this supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and used to determine your eligibility to participate in the next phase of the examination process. CHECK YOUR ANSWER CAREFULLY.
Any mistakes you make and/or any incomplete responses you provide in completing these questions will be used to disqualify your application even if you possess the qualifying experience. It is the applicants sole responsibility to complete this questionnaire completely, correctly, and accurately.
Please read each question carefully and be as specific as possible when answering by including all the information requested.
The experience you claim in this Supplemental Questionnaire MUST be consistent with the experience listed in your application. Comments such as "see resume or application" will NOT be considered as a response. All information is subject to verification at any time in the examination and hiring process. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or dismissal.
02
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
How many months of experience do you have in laboratory work* in a public health, medical, or biological laboratory
03
DESIRED QUALIFICATION:
How many months of experience do you have in an Acute Care Hospital Laboratory setting?
04
If you indicated that you have experience for Question 3, to ensure you receive credit, you MUST provide ALL of the following:
Payroll Title
Name of Hospital:
Name and Title of Supervisor:
Date(s) of Employment related to the above experience: FROM (mm/yr) - TO (mm/yr)
Hours worked per week
List of duties that clearly demonstrate your staff capacity assignments:
List all experiences that apply.
If you do not have any experience in this area, please type "DOES NOT APPLY".
Failure to provide ALL the requested information above may result in disqualification of your application.
05
DESIRED EDUCATION:
Have you successfully completed a chemistry, biology, or microbiology lecture and lab course(s) at an accredited college or university?
ACTION REQUIRED: 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 jhernandezgutierrez@dhs.lacounty.gov 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.
Note: We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
06
DESIRED EDUCATION:
If you indicated "YES" to Question 5, please list all course(s) that apply and specify the following:
Name of course (as they appear on transcripts):
Course number:
Credit(s) granted :
Letter grade:
If this does not apply, please type "DOES NOT APPLY".
Required Question
Employer County of Los Angeles
Address
Los Angeles, California, 90010
Website http://hr.lacounty.gov