Average Lab Technician Salary in Solomon Islands for 2026
A lab technician in Solomon Islands earns about 42,960 SBD a year. That's 44% below the national average of 77,380 SBD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Solomon Islands sit around 20,460 SBD a year, while the very top stretches to 68,320 SBD. Everything on this page is in Solomon Islands dollar (SBD, symbol $), 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 Solomon Islands, 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 technician make in Solomon Islands?
A typical lab technician working in Solomon Islands brings home around 3,580 SBD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 20,460 SBD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 68,320 SBD 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 technician 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 technician pay ranges in Solomon Islands
A good way to think about salary in Solomon Islands is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all lab technicians in Solomon Islands earn less than 43,800 SBD 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 31,660 SBD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 60,400 SBD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of lab technicians sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 20,460 SBD. The highest stretch to 68,320 SBD, 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 technician pay by experience in Solomon Islands
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a lab technician in Solomon Islands, 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 technician salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years27,040 SBD
- 2-5 Years+26% from previous34,160 SBD
- 5-10 Years+38% from previous47,180 SBD
- 10-15 Years+18% from previous55,820 SBD
- 15-20 Years+11% from previous62,100 SBD
- 20+ Years+7% from previous66,580 SBD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 38%. That is the point at which a lab technician 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 technician pay by education in Solomon Islands
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving lab technician pay in Solomon Islands. 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 technician salary in Solomon Islands broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree30,700 SBD
- Master's Degree+63% from previous50,180 SBD
Lab technician gender pay gap in Solomon Islands
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Solomon Islands is no exception. Male lab technicians in Solomon Islands earn an average of 48,340 SBD a year, while female lab technicians earn around 42,040 SBD. That works out to a 15% 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 Technician gender pay gap
13%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Solomon Islands.
Pay raises for a lab technician in Solomon Islands
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 Solomon Islands sees a raise of about 6% every 28 months, which works out to roughly 3% 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 Solomon Islands, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Solomon Islands:
- Banking1%
- Energy2%
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
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 technician bonus rates in Solomon Islands
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.
37% of lab technicians in Solomon Islands reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a lab technician 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 6% of base salary. The remaining 63% of lab technicians reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Solomon Islands
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 technician: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Solomon Islands is about 9% 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
8%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Solomon Islands on average.
Lab Technician in Solomon Islands: FAQs
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How much does a lab technician make per month in Solomon Islands?
A lab technician in Solomon Islands earns about 3,580 SBD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 42,960 SBD.
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What's the salary range for a lab technician in Solomon Islands?
Entry-level lab technicians in Solomon Islands start near 20,460 SBD. Top-end pay reaches around 68,320 SBD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 31,660 and 60,400 SBD.
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Is the median lab technician salary in Solomon Islands higher or lower than the average?
The median is 43,800 SBD, higher than the average of 42,960 SBD. Half of lab technicians in Solomon Islands earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for lab technicians in Solomon Islands?
Men working as a lab technician in Solomon Islands earn around 15% more than women on average (48,340 vs 42,040 SBD a year).
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Do lab technicians in Solomon Islands get bonuses?
About 37% of lab technicians in Solomon Islands reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.
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Do lab technicians earn more in the public or private sector in Solomon Islands?
In Solomon Islands, the public sector pays a lab technician about 9% 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 technicians in Solomon Islands get a pay raise?
A lab technician in Solomon Islands sees a raise of around 6% every 28 months, equivalent to roughly 3% a year.