These are the rates from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026, under Fair Work Commission determination PR814029. They are the first stage of the Commission's gender undervaluation increases; further stages are due from 30 June 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
If you were employed under this award on 30 September 2026, clause J.4 translates you into the new structure and clause J.4.3 keeps your old minimum rate if it was higher. Our Health Professionals Award rates page covers the full award.
The Health Professional rows are the PR814029 rates from 1 October 2026. The laboratory assistant (Support Services) and Manufacturing Award rows are unchanged 1 July 2026 rates; all were re-checked against the consolidated awards on 9 October 2026.
The median shown is for medical technicians (ANZSCO 3112). Jobs and Skills Australia reports a higher median of $1,794 a week for science technicians (ANZSCO 3114), which covers laboratory technicians outside health.
Which award covers lab technicians
Which award covers a lab technician depends on the lab. Pathology and medical laboratory technicians employed by private pathology companies, private hospitals and other national-system health employers are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], which lists "Medical Laboratory Technician" among its health professionals (Schedule B).
From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026, a health professional's level 1 rate depends on the AQF level Schedule B gives the profession — AQF Level 5 for a medical laboratory technician — and years of experience at Level 1: $32.44 an hour in the 1st year, $34.44 in the 2nd and 3rd years, $37.53 in the 4th to 6th years and $40.56 from the 7th year. An employer that requires a higher qualification must pay at that qualification's AQF level (cl B.2(d)). Laboratory assistants without those qualifications are Support Services employees: the award lists them at level 1 and level 3.
Laboratory technicians employed by manufacturers covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 [MA000010] are classified as Engineering/Laboratory Technicians at Levels I to V (wage groups C9 to C5). Some manufacturing sectors, such as food and beverage manufacturing, have their own awards.
Lab technicians in public hospitals, universities, schools and government agencies are paid under state awards, enterprise agreements or public sector agreements rather than these awards.
Read the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 October 2026).
Lab Technician award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026 for the Health Professional rows, and on or after 1 July 2026 for the others. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Medical laboratory technician pay rates — Health Professional level 1 (AQF Level 5)
Health Professionals and Support Services Award cl 17.1(a) as substituted by determination PR814029, from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026. Schedule B sets medical laboratory technicians at AQF Level 5; pay rises with years of experience at Level 1. Casual rates are Schedule C.2.3 exactly.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — AQF 5 — 1st year | $32.44 | $1,232.70 | $64,100 | $40.55 |
| Level 1 — AQF 5 — 2nd – 3rd year | $34.44 | $1,308.80 | $68,058 | $43.05 |
| Level 1 — AQF 5 — 4th – 6th year | $37.53 | $1,426.00 | $74,152 | $46.91 |
| Level 1 — AQF 5 — 7th year+ | $40.56 | $1,541.30 | $80,148 | $50.70 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Laboratory assistant — Health Professionals and Support Services Award
Clause 16.2(a), Support Services stream. The award lists laboratory assistant as an indicative role at level 1 and level 3 (Schedule A.1.1, A.1.3).
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Services level 1 — laboratory assistantUnder 3 months' industry experience | $26.97 | $1,024.70 | $53,284 | $33.71 |
| Support Services level 3 — laboratory assistant | $29.11 | $1,106.20 | $57,522 | $36.39 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Laboratory technician pay rates in manufacturing — Manufacturing Award
Manufacturing Award cl 20.1(a), read from the same constants as the Manufacturing Award page. Engineering/Laboratory Technician Levels I to V are C9 to C5 (Schedule A.3.1).
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C9 — Laboratory Technician Level I | $30.38 | $1,154.30 | $60,024 | $37.98 |
| C8 — Laboratory Technician Level II | $31.30 | $1,189.40 | $61,849 | $39.13 |
| C7 — Laboratory Technician Level III | $32.13 | $1,221.10 | $63,497 | $40.16 |
| C6 — Laboratory Technician Level IV | $33.77 | $1,283.10 | $66,721 | $42.21 |
| C5 — Laboratory Technician Level V | $34.46 | $1,309.50 | $68,094 | $43.08 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Lab Technician penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday or Sunday (midnight Friday to midnight Sunday) | 150% | 175% |
| Shiftwork (starts 6 pm–6 am or finishes 6 pm–8 am) | 115% | 140% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 275% |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate (cl 26 and Schedule C.2). A casual's weekend and shiftwork rates replace the 25% loading rather than adding to it (cl 26.1(b), 26.3(b)), and the shift penalty does not apply on weekends or public holidays where those rates are paid instead (cl 26.3(c)). These are the Health Professionals Award rates. Under the Manufacturing Award, weekend work is overtime unless agreed as ordinary hours (150% Saturday, 200% Sunday), and a casual's penalties are calculated on the casual rate — see the Manufacturing Award page.
Overtime
- Full-time and part-time: 150% for the first 2 hours Monday to Saturday, then 200%; Sunday 200%; public holiday 250% (cl 25.2).
- Casual: 187.5% for the first 2 hours Monday to Saturday, then 250%; Sunday 250%; public holiday 312.5% (cl 25.3).
- Overtime is triggered by work beyond ordinary hours or beyond 10 hours in a shift (cl 25.1), and replaces rather than adds to weekend and shift penalties.
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Lab Technician pay after tax
On the Level 1 — AQF 5 — 1st year rate of $1,232.70 a week, a full-time lab technician earns $64,100 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $64,100 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$9,712 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,282 |
| Take-home per year | $53,106 |
| Take-home per week | $1,021 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $65,000 (the nearest step to $64,100), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What lab technicians actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Medical Technicians (ANZSCO 3112) at $1,539 a week ($39 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Health Professional levels 2 to 4 for senior technicians and medical scientists — the same table appears on the physiotherapist page.
- Manufacturing Award technical officer levels C4 to C2(b), and apprentice and trainee rates.
- State public health pathology pay scales.
Lab Technician pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020, consolidated to 1 October 2026, on 9 October 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4Science Technicians (ANZSCO 3114) occupation profile— Jobs and Skills Australia
- 5Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 6Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 7Medical Technicians (ANZSCO 3112) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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