Annual Salary
£20,000 to £28,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Laboratory technicians carry out tests on samples for scientific research, product development and medical diagnosis.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: weekends; on shifts
There will be
0.5% more Laboratory technician jobs in 2027.
As a laboratory technician, you could:
Possible green job
This job could help the environment.
For a laboratory technician to be a green job, you could:
Find out more about green careers
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a laboratory, at a university or at a manufacturing plant.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a scientific subject to work as a laboratory technician.
Subjects include:
You'll usually need:
You could take a college course to help improve your chances of finding a trainee lab assistant position.
You could do a course such as:
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
You could apply for a Laboratory Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship or a Technician Scientist Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.
These apprenticeships can take between 2 and 3 years to complete.
You'll usually need:
You can apply for work as a lab technician if you have experience in a:
You can register with a professional body linked 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.
With experience, you could:become a lab supervisor or lab manager; specialise in complex analysis work; apply to become a Registered Science Technician to develop your career
You could also take further training at degree or postgraduate level to become a research scientist.
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.
Opportunities are available with employers such as Specsavers
You'll need: