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Biotechnologist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a biotechnologist is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $21,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Sector moves pay more than almost anything else: pharmaceutical, medical technology and contract manufacturing employers typically pay above university research groups and public laboratories.
- Qualifications matter too, with a PhD or a postgraduate specialisation opening higher bands, and shift or on-call work in manufacturing and diagnostics usually attracting loadings on top of base pay.
The median salary rose by $21,200 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than biotechnologist
The largest typical pay rise is $12,700 a year, moving into Chemist.
- Chemist+$12,700/yr
- Medical Laboratory Scientist+$5,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher biotechnologist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time biotechnologist salary is $101,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Laboratory analysis and Data analysis tend to command a premium over general biotechnologist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chemist pays a typical $12,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Biotechnologist salary questions
How much do biotechnologists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a biotechnologist is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is biotechnologist pay rising or falling?
The median biotechnologist salary is up $21,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than biotechnologist?
Chemist pays a typical $12,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to biotechnologist.
Related salaries
- Biologist salary
- Medical Laboratory Scientist salary
- Biochemist salary
- Microbiologist salary
- Chemist salary
- Pharmacologist salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.