Annual Salary
£17,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Laboratory technicians support scientists and help carry out tests, research and investigations.
Average UK salary in 2019 was £30,378
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: weekends; on shifts
There will be
1% more Laboratory technician jobs in 2026.
In your local area
You will work safely, following strict guidelines. You could do routine or one off tests and will:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a laboratory.
You can get into this job through:
Some employers may expect you to have a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a scientific subject like:
You'll usually need:
You could take a college course to help improve your chances of finding work.
Courses include:
You'll usually need:
Apprenticeships relevant to this role include:
You'll usually need:
Experience in a lab can help when looking for work. You can look for opportunities at:a research lab in a university; clinical laboratories in hospitals; a production or research lab in an industrial setting; school and college science departments
You can join a professional body relevant to your area of work for career development and training opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a laboratory technician from:the Science Council; Health Careers
With experience, you could progress to team manager or lab supervisor, or specialise in complex analysis work.
With a degree and experience you could move into a research technician role.
You can join a professional body relevant to your area of work for career development and training opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a laboratory technician from the Science Council and Health Careers.
You'll need: