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Laboratory Technician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a laboratory technician is $93,300 per annum, before tax, up $19,300 since 2018.
- Sector moves pay more than anything else: public hospital pathology and university labs usually pay under enterprise agreements with set bands, while private pathology and commercial testing companies set their own rates for similar bench work.
- Because many labs run around the clock, shift load matters, with afternoon, night and weekend penalties adding to base rates.
- Qualifications lift you as well, since a diploma or degree opens senior technician and specialist testing roles that certificate-level staff rarely access.
The median salary rose by $19,300 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 laboratory technician
The largest typical pay rise is $26,300 a year, moving into Laboratory Manager.
- Laboratory Manager+$26,300/yr
- Food Scientist+$20,800/yr
- Chemist+$20,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher laboratory technician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time laboratory technician salary is $93,300; 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 laboratory technician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Laboratory Manager pays a typical $26,300 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."
Laboratory Technician salary questions
How much do laboratory technicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a laboratory technician is $93,300 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is laboratory technician pay rising or falling?
The median laboratory technician salary is up $19,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than laboratory technician?
Laboratory Manager pays a typical $26,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to laboratory technician.
Related salaries
- Medical Laboratory Scientist salary
- Laboratory Manager salary
- Food Scientist salary
- Chemist salary
- Microbiologist salary
- Pathology Collector 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.