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City of Hope
Irvine, California

Pathologist Assistant - Surgical Pathology (Per Diem)

Lab ProfessionalIncludes callIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$79.43/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 55m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Thank you for your interest. Please note, the purpose of this posting is to recruit for on-going and future positions.

Pathologist Assistant – Surgical Pathology (Per Diem) (Variable Schedule) - New Grads Welcome to Apply

  • ## Eligible for a $2,500 sign-on bonus
  • Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. our dedicated and compassionate employees are driven by a common mission: To deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today.

Join our team at City of Hope as a Pathologists' Assistant I, where you will play a critical role in the examination and preparation of surgical specimens! Your responsibilities include receiving, examining, and processing specimens for diagnosis, as well as assisting in autopsy prosection and photography. You'll also prepare specimens for fixation and embedding and perform frozen section procedures. Additionally, you will actively participate in various departmental activities, including patient services, research, teaching, and technical procedure development. Your contributions are vital to advancing our diagnostic capabilities and providing exceptional patient care! CLICK HERE to learn more about the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center.

It is highly preferred that candidates are familiar with: frozen section, rapid gross, grossing breast, gynecological, prostate, and margins

This position requires flexibility to accommodate varying patient needs. Shifts may include days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. On-call responsibilities and mandatory overtime may also be necessary.

As a successful candidate, you will:

  • Perform processing and grossing of surgical specimens for anatomic pathology.
  • Perform routine and complex autopsies.
  • Accession of surgical specimens in the laboratory information system
  • Assist with duties related to surgical pathology and autopsy services.
  • Use Epic Beaker LIS (highly preferred)

Your Qualifications Should Include

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Pathologist Assistant studies
  • 0-1 year of experience as a certified Pathologist Assistant in an anatomic pathology laboratory

ASCP / AAPA Pathologist Assistant certification or must be ASCP/AAPA Pathologist Assistant certified within 6 months of hire date.

Additional Note

Per Diem Hourly Rate: $79.43 / hr

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location. City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

Key Responsibilities

The Pathologist Assistant is responsible for receiving, examining, and processing surgical specimens for diagnosis and assisting in autopsy procedures. They also perform technical tasks such as frozen section preparation and documentation within the laboratory information system.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Pathologist Assistant studies and possess or be eligible for ASCP/AAPA certification. The role requires 0-1 year of experience and the flexibility to work variable shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Specimen processingBreast pathologyGynecological pathologyProstate pathology

Healthcare Professional Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$165k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $149k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

healthcare by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$165khealthcare median $152k (middle half $125k–$158k)11 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$149k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
healthcare listings in California6 active80 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repayment$3k sign-onUS healthcare professional listings: 10% state a sign-on bonus · 4% offer loan repayment80 active listings, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Work-life snapshot

1.5/ 10
Listing-based score
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Irvine

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.36M
Typical market rent
$3,604/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.