Average Lab Analyst Salary in Guatemala for 2026
A lab analyst in Guatemala earns about 103,580 GTQ a year. That's 19% below the national average of 127,700 GTQ.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Guatemala sit around 55,320 GTQ a year, while the very top stretches to 159,500 GTQ. Everything on this page is in Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ, symbol Q), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Guatemala, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a lab analyst make in Guatemala?
A typical lab analyst working in Guatemala brings home around 8,631 GTQ a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 55,320 GTQ, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 159,500 GTQ for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior lab analyst working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How lab analyst pay ranges in Guatemala
A good way to think about salary in Guatemala is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all lab analysts in Guatemala earn less than 101,020 GTQ a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 68,320 GTQ (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 123,400 GTQ (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of lab analysts sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 55,320 GTQ. The highest stretch to 159,500 GTQ, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Lab analyst pay by experience in Guatemala
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a lab analyst in Guatemala, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical lab analyst salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years66,000 GTQ
- 2-5 Years+20% from previous78,940 GTQ
- 5-10 Years+42% from previous112,420 GTQ
- 10-15 Years+15% from previous128,900 GTQ
- 15-20 Years+10% from previous142,300 GTQ
- 20+ Years+7% from previous152,000 GTQ
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a lab analyst typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Lab analyst pay by education in Guatemala
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving lab analyst pay in Guatemala. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average lab analyst salary in Guatemala broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree69,260 GTQ
- Master's Degree+63% from previous112,620 GTQ
- PhD+30% from previous146,200 GTQ
Lab analyst gender pay gap in Guatemala
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Guatemala is no exception. Male lab analysts in Guatemala earn an average of 110,380 GTQ a year, while female lab analysts earn around 97,840 GTQ. That works out to a 13% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Lab Analyst gender pay gap
11%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Guatemala.
Pay raises for a lab analyst in Guatemala
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Guatemala sees a raise of about 10% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Guatemala, the national average raise is around 7% every 19 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Guatemala:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education2%
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Lab analyst bonus rates in Guatemala
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
49% of lab analysts in Guatemala reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a lab analyst a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 51% of lab analysts reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Guatemala
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Lab analyst: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Guatemala is about 12% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
11%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Guatemala on average.
Lab Analyst in Guatemala: FAQs
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How much does a lab analyst make per month in Guatemala?
A lab analyst in Guatemala earns about 8,631 GTQ a month before tax, based on an annual average of 103,580 GTQ.
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What's the salary range for a lab analyst in Guatemala?
Entry-level lab analysts in Guatemala start near 55,320 GTQ. Top-end pay reaches around 159,500 GTQ. The middle 50% of earners sit between 68,320 and 123,400 GTQ.
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Is the median lab analyst salary in Guatemala higher or lower than the average?
The median is 101,020 GTQ, lower than the average of 103,580 GTQ. Half of lab analysts in Guatemala earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for lab analysts in Guatemala?
Men working as a lab analyst in Guatemala earn around 13% more than women on average (110,380 vs 97,840 GTQ a year).
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Do lab analysts in Guatemala get bonuses?
About 49% of lab analysts in Guatemala reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5% of base salary.
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Do lab analysts earn more in the public or private sector in Guatemala?
In Guatemala, the public sector pays a lab analyst about 12% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do lab analysts in Guatemala get a pay raise?
A lab analyst in Guatemala sees a raise of around 10% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.