Laboratory Technician Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 64,000 jobs.
Median salary
£26,861
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 2.3% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£28,210
Part-time only
£15,818
Mean
£28,664
Jobs measured
64,000
What a typical laboratory technician takes home
On the median of £26,861, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,905
Take-home a year
£22,860
Income Tax
£2,858
National Insurance
£1,143
What most laboratory technicians actually earn
Half of laboratory technicians earn between £22,757 and £32,655. Earning above £32,655 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of laboratory technicians earn less than this.
Laboratory Technician salary by region
9 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| London | £31,088 | £31,023 |
| East | £28,870 | £27,434 |
| North West | £28,185 | £31,435 |
| South East | £26,800 | £32,236 |
| North East | £26,317 | £24,636 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £25,580 | £27,182 |
| East Midlands | £25,012 | £24,642 |
| Wales | £24,334 | £23,545 |
| West Midlands | £23,755 | £24,582 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Laboratory technicians
- SOC 2020 code
- 3111
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Laboratory Technician salary FAQs
What is the average Laboratory Technician salary in the UK?
The median is £26,861 a year and the mean is £28,664, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £28,210 and part-time employees £15,818.
How much does a laboratory technician earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.58 excluding overtime, or £14.76 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Laboratory Technician salary?
Half of laboratory technicians earn between £22,757 and £32,655. Anything above £32,655 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a laboratory technician?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of laboratory technicians earn under £15,821 and the lowest quarter under £22,757 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has laboratory technician pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +2.3% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many laboratory technicians are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 64,000 employee jobs in “Laboratory technicians” (SOC 3111) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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