Laboratory Technician

Salary Pay Range

AU $45 - $55k

Hours

Shift Work

Attributes

Attributes

Job Description

A Laboratory Technician is responsible for the maintenance of lab tools and equipment, data recording, preparing experiments and inspecting, calibrating and maintaining test equipment. Laboratory Technicians may also work in scientific research and development. Laboratory Technicians may work in various settings such as within medical laboratories, school science laboratories or within forensic, pharmacology or manufacturing companies.

Careers Ladder

Qualifications

To become a Laboratory Technician in Australia, a qualification in laboratory technology is usually required. These are usually certificate or diploma-level courses.

Complete a qualification in laboratory technology. This will usually be a Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques, a Diploma of Laboratory Technology or an Advanced Diploma of Laboratory Operations.

Depending on your work context, investigate opportunities for membership with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Australian Society for Microbiology or the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists.

There are numerous opportunities for laboratory technicians who want to further their careers, such as undertaking additional study (e.g. in a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Laboratory Medicine) in order to qualify as a medical laboratory scientist), or becoming a pathology technician or research officer.

Attributes

  • Accurate
  • Detail Orientated
  • Analytical
  • Communicator
  • Diligent
  • Educated
  • Focused
  • Meticulous
  • Precise
  • Reliable
  • Technological
  • Thorough

Key Skills

  • Laboratory Practice
  • Chemistry
  • Science
  • Sample Preparation
  • Microbiology
  • Computer Literacy
  • Time Management
  • Workplace Health and Safety

Future Prospects

You may like to think about moving on from this career, some transferable skills can be utilised in roles such as;