How to become a laboratory technician

Official title: Laboratory technicians

Also called: Technician, Laboratory aid, Laboratory man, Lab technician, Laboratory aide, Food technician, Laboratory worker, Laboratory officer, Laboratory steward, Anatomy technician, Geology technician, Physics technician

Laboratory technicians carry out routine laboratory tests and checks and perform a variety of technical support functions requiring the application of established or prescribed procedures and techniques to assist scientists with their research, development, analysis and testing, and to verify the physical, chemical and other characteristics of materials and products.

Main tasks

• Sets up and assists with the construction and the development of scientific apparatus for experimental, demonstration or other purposes
• Prepares organic and inorganic material for examination and stains and fixes slides for microscope work
• Operates and services specialised scientific equipment, undertakes prescribed measurements and analyses and ensures that sterile conditions necessary for some equipment are maintained
• Records and collates data obtained from experimental work and documents all work carried out
• Maintains and rotates stock and supplies
• Disposes of chemical and biological waste safely
• Keeps up to date with new technical developments

How to become one

Entry varies from employer to employer. Entrants usually possess a degree, although entry is also possible with A-levels, GCSEs/S grades, an appropriate BTEC/SQA award or HNC/HND. Professional qualifications, NVQs/SVQs at various levels, and apprenticeships are available in some areas of work. Good eyesight, and in some cases, normal colour vision are also required.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Healthcare science assistant (level 2). England. Typically 14 months. Skills England standard ST0218.
• Apprenticeship (England): Laboratory technician (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0248.
• Apprenticeship (England): Metrology technician (level 3). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0282.
• Apprenticeship (England): Nuclear health physics monitor (level 2). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0290.
• University: Science degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
• University: Computing & IT degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £28,210 a year The middle half earn £24,975 to £34,028.
• About 61,900 people work in this job now, and about 66,400 are projected by 2035. (+7.3%)

Related jobs

• Electrical and electronics technicians
• Engineering technicians
• Building and civil engineering technicians
• Quality assurance technicians
• Planning, process and production technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a laboratory technician?

Entry varies from employer to employer. Entrants usually possess a degree, although entry is also possible with A-levels, GCSEs/S grades, an appropriate BTEC/SQA award or HNC/HND. Professional qualifications, NVQs/SVQs at various levels, and apprenticeships are available in some areas of work. Good eyesight, and in some cases, normal colour vision are also required.

How much does a laboratory technician earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £28,210 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £24,975 to £34,028.

Is a laboratory technician a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2035, from about 61,900 to about 66,400 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a laboratory technician?

Not always. 55% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Science degrees; Computing & IT degrees; Healthcare science assistant (level 2).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.