What is the legal minimum wage for a medical laboratory scientist?

For award-free adult employees in the national system, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week. However, most medical laboratory scientists are covered by a modern award (such as the Health Professionals and Support Services Award) or an enterprise agreement, which typically sets higher minimum rates. The award backstop ensures no classification falls below the national minimum.

Does the medical laboratory scientist salary include superannuation?

No, the salary figures quoted (e.g., $26.44 per hour) are before super. Employers must pay super guarantee of 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. For a full-time worker on the national minimum wage, that adds about $3.17 per hour or $120.59 per week in super contributions.

Where can I find the specific award rate for a medical laboratory scientist?

The specific award rate depends on the classification level and the applicable modern award. This site does not hold individual award rates. You can check the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool or refer to the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020. The award rate will be higher than the national minimum wage for most classifications.

Medical Laboratory Scientist Salary: Legal Minimum and Award Rates in Australia

The legal minimum for award-free adult employees is $26.44 per hour, but medical laboratory scientists are typically covered by an award or agreement that sets a higher rate; a precise market average is not available in this reference.

Medical Laboratory Scientist Salary: Understanding the Pay Floor

When researching a medical laboratory scientist salary in Australia, it is important to separate the legal minimum from award rates, enterprise agreements, and market averages. This guide explains the national minimum wage that applies as a backstop, how superannuation works on top, and where to look for the actual rates that medical laboratory scientists typically receive.

The Legal Minimum: National Minimum Wage

From 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour ordinary week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual minimum $33.05 per hour. These figures are set by the Fair Work Commission and apply to award-free and agreement-free national-system employees. For junior employees (under 21), the minimum is a percentage of the adult rate, ranging from 36.8% for under-16s to 97.7% for 20-year-olds.

However, a medical laboratory scientist is almost never award-free. Most are covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 or a similar state award. Modern awards set minimum wages for each classification level, and these are generally higher than the national minimum. The award backstop ensures that no ongoing classification rate falls below $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026. Introductory rates (first six months) cannot fall below $25.74 per hour.

Award Rates vs. Market Rates

This reference does not contain a specific award classification or market survey figure for a medical laboratory scientist salary. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes award pay rates, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports average earnings for the health professional category, but not for this precise occupation. In May 2026, the ABS reported full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week across all industries. A medical laboratory scientist's salary is likely to be above the national minimum but below that average, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Superannuation: An Employer Payment on Top

All salary figures discussed are before super. Employers must pay super guarantee at 12% on top of ordinary time earnings. For a medical laboratory scientist earning, say, $1,200 per week (a hypothetical figure for illustration), the employer would contribute an additional $144 per week into the employee's super fund. This is not deducted from the salary; it is an extra cost to the employer.

How to Determine the Correct Pay Floor

To find the exact minimum for a medical laboratory scientist role, follow these steps:

Identify the applicable award – Most private-sector medical laboratories use the Health Professionals and Support Services Award. Check with the Fair Work Ombudsman or your employer.
Find the classification level – Awards have different pay grades (e.g., Health Professional Level 1, Level 2). The level depends on qualifications and experience.
Check for enterprise agreements – Some laboratories have enterprise agreements that may provide higher rates than the award.
Apply the national minimum as a backstop – If the award or agreement rate is lower than $26.44 per hour (unlikely for a scientist), the national minimum applies.

Tax and Take-Home Pay

For a full-time employee on the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 per week, annualised that is about $52,254.80. Using 2026-27 tax rates with the full tax-free threshold, the estimated tax would be around $5,092, plus Medicare levy of 2% (about $1,045 if income exceeds $30,000). This leaves a weekly take-home of roughly $887 after tax and Medicare. Super is separate and not included in take-home.

Internal Resources

For more on which pay floor applies to you, see Which minimum wage applies. To compare rates across awards and classifications, visit Rate tables. Our Guides section explains how to read award classifications and calculate super.

Summary

A medical laboratory scientist salary is not a single figure. The legal floor is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour, but the actual minimum is almost always set by an award or agreement at a higher level. Super of 12% is paid on top. For a precise rate, consult the Fair Work Ombudsman or your employer's agreement. This site provides the national minimum and award backstop figures, but not individual occupation averages.