Anatomical pathology technician
Anatomical pathology technicians (APTs) help pathologists examine bodies to work out the causes of death.
Also known as: Anatomical pathology technologist, APT, mortuary technician
- Starter salary£28,000 a year
- Experienced£48,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As an anatomical pathology technician, you could:
- help pathologists to carry out post-mortem procedures
- make sure tools and work areas are clean and ready for use
- take tissue and organ samples for lab analysis
- make sure infection controls are followed at all times
- keep accurate records of each post-mortem
- help to reconstruct, clean and prepare bodies for release to families and funeral directors
- maintain stocks of chemicals used in the job
- work closely with other health professionals, coroners and the police
Working environment
You could work at a mortuary or in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of biology
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work on your own
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a anatomical pathology technician
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or a trainee position.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Mortuary Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship - Pathology route.
This can take up to 2 years to complete and must be done while working in a public or NHS mortuary.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Other routes
You could start as a trainee assistant in an NHS or local authority pathology service. Training combines learning on the job with classroom study and leads to a Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Science - Pathology .
Initially, you would watch a pathologist at work, then start to do some basic tasks yourself under the supervision of experienced staff.
To become a trainee you would normally need:
- 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English, maths and a science - usually biology
- good IT skills
- to be sensitive to the issues facing families dealing with the death of a loved one
- an awareness and respect for different religious beliefs about death
Career path and progression
With experience, you could work towards a Level 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science - Pathology and become a senior pathology technician, performing more specialised tasks.
You could also move into mortuary services management.
Career tips
Experience in record keeping, legal issues or health and safety may be helpful for trainee positions.
Professional and industry bodies
Once you have your level 3 diploma, you can apply to join the Royal Society of Public Health and the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology .
Guides for this industry
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