Survey on Medical Technologist Desired Wage in Primary and Secondary Medical Institutions Nationwide in the Republic of Korea

This study assessed the desired wage guidelines for medical technologists (MTs), mainly primary care providers and those in secondary medical institutions, in 16 cities and provinces in Korea. A survey of 1,327 MTs was conducted using a structured Google questionnaire from August 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. The wage levels differed according to gender, age, education, career, region, and employment status. There were differences in wage levels according to gender and region with less than one year of career, and the wage gap was relatively larger for woman than man. An awareness of wage compensation appropriate for work performance, and technology value compensation were low at 2.01, 2.23, and 2.30, respectively. This study suggests that primary and secondary medical institutions should provide reasonable wages compensation for MTs’ work in order to create an environment where MTs can receive stable jobs and work. Moreover, the Korean Association of Medical Technologists should establish a cooperative system so that the starting wage of MTs in primary and secondary medical institutions can receive the desired wage of 34 million won.