A person working as a Laboratory Technician in Sierra Leone typically earns around 3,940,000 SLL per month. Salaries range from 1,930,000 SLL (lowest) to 6,140,000 SLL (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Laboratory Technician salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Laboratory Technician salaries in Sierra Leone range from 1,930,000 SLL per month (minimum salary) to 6,140,000 SLL per month (maximum salary).
The median salary is 4,020,000 SLL per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 4,020,000 SLL while the other half are earning more than 4,020,000 SLL. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 2,680,000 SLL while 75% of them are earning more than 2,680,000 SLL. Also from the diagram, 75% of Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 5,180,000 SLL while 25% are earning more than 5,180,000 SLL.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Laboratory Technician salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Laboratory Technician with less than two years of experience makes approximately 2,290,000 SLL per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,940,000 SLL per month, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 4,060,000 SLL per month, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Laboratory Technician(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 5,030,000 SLL per month, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 5,390,000 SLL per month, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 5,740,000 SLL per month, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 2,290,000 SLL | |
2 - 5 Years | +29% | 2,940,000 SLL |
5 - 10 Years | +38% | 4,060,000 SLL |
10 - 15 Years | +24% | 5,030,000 SLL |
15 - 20 Years | +7% | 5,390,000 SLL |
20+ Years | +7% | 5,740,000 SLL |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Laboratory Technician salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of a Laboratory Technician is 2,860,000 SLL per month.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 4,580,000 SLL per month, 60% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
Bachelor's Degree | 2,860,000 SLL | |
Master's Degree | +60% | 4,580,000 SLL |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Sierra Leone costs anywhere from 28,500,000 Leone(s) to 85,500,000 Leone(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Laboratory Technician employees in Sierra Leone earn 13% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 4,130,000 SLL | |
Female | -12% | 3,640,000 SLL |
Laboratory Technician(s) in Sierra Leone are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 29 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 4% granted to employees every 29 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 6% | |
Energy | 3% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 6% | |
Travel | 3% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 6% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Sierra Leone for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
A Laboratory Technician is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
87% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 13% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 13% | |
No Bonus | 87% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Laboratory Technician is 45% less than that of Healthcare Technical. Also, Healthcare Technical salaries are 17% less than those of Health and Medical.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Academic Clinician | 11,000,000 SLL | ![]() |
Admitting Officer | 4,150,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ambulance Dispatcher | 4,000,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ambulance Driver | 3,660,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ambulance Officer and Paramedic | 4,530,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ambulatory Services Director | 8,320,000 SLL | ![]() |
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor | 9,290,000 SLL | ![]() |
Anesthesia Technician | 5,960,000 SLL | ![]() |
Anesthesiologist | 16,100,000 SLL | ![]() |
Anesthesiology Assistant | 6,050,000 SLL | ![]() |
Assistant Optometrist | 4,860,000 SLL | ![]() |
Audiologist | 9,940,000 SLL | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Director | 7,580,000 SLL | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Technician | 3,960,000 SLL | ![]() |
Cardiac Technician | 3,810,000 SLL | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Specialist | 21,600,000 SLL | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Technologist | 8,160,000 SLL | ![]() |
Central Sterile Processing Technician | 4,650,000 SLL | ![]() |
Charge Entry Specialist | 5,020,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Application Specialist | 5,210,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Biochemist | 9,670,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Cytogeneticist | 8,200,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Data Reviewer | 5,180,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Development Specialist | 6,440,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Field Associate | 5,130,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Genetic Technologist | 8,080,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Microbiologist | 10,700,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Molecular Geneticist | 8,900,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Neuropsychologist | 11,000,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Research Coordinator | 6,020,000 SLL | ![]() |
Clinical Scientist | 10,900,000 SLL | ![]() |
CME Specialist | 8,310,000 SLL | ![]() |
CT Technologist | 5,030,000 SLL | ![]() |
Cytogenetic Technologist | 7,470,000 SLL | ![]() |
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 6,360,000 SLL | ![]() |
Dispensing Optician | 4,650,000 SLL | ![]() |
Dosimetrist | 7,140,000 SLL | ![]() |
EKG Technician | 4,630,000 SLL | ![]() |
Endoscopic Assistant | 4,600,000 SLL | ![]() |
Endoscopy Technician | 4,330,000 SLL | ![]() |
Enterostomal Therapist | 6,950,000 SLL | ![]() |
Epidemiologist | 8,710,000 SLL | ![]() |
FGP Ultrasound Techncian | 4,530,000 SLL | ![]() |
Health Systems Specialist | 6,240,000 SLL | ![]() |
Health Technologist | 6,960,000 SLL | ![]() |
Healthcare Data Analyst | 5,490,000 SLL | ![]() |
Hearing Aid Specialist | 5,300,000 SLL | ![]() |
Histotechnologist | 6,740,000 SLL | ![]() |
Immunologist | 9,810,000 SLL | ![]() |
Industrial Hygienist | 6,800,000 SLL | ![]() |
Infection Control Coordinator | 4,930,000 SLL | ![]() |
Infection Control Practitioner | 10,600,000 SLL | ![]() |
Infection Preventionist | 7,560,000 SLL | ![]() |
Informatics Practice Specialist | 6,230,000 SLL | ![]() |
Interventional Radiographer | 8,870,000 SLL | ![]() |
Lab Assistant | 3,980,000 SLL | ![]() |
Laboratory Manager | 7,520,000 SLL | ![]() |
Laboratory Technician | 3,940,000 SLL | ![]() |
Low Vision Therapist | 9,540,000 SLL | ![]() |
Mammography Technician | 3,960,000 SLL | ![]() |
Medical Coder | 3,550,000 SLL | ![]() |
Medical Courier | 2,760,000 SLL | ![]() |
Medical Equipment Preparer | 4,140,000 SLL | ![]() |
Medical Forms Designer | 3,620,000 SLL | ![]() |
Medical Technologist | 4,580,000 SLL | ![]() |
MRI Technologist | 4,070,000 SLL | ![]() |
Music Therapist | 6,120,000 SLL | ![]() |
Neonatologist | 11,200,000 SLL | ![]() |
Neurodiagnostic Techncian | 4,160,000 SLL | ![]() |
Neuropsychology Testing Assistant | 4,030,000 SLL | ![]() |
Nuclear Medical Technician | 5,630,000 SLL | ![]() |
Nuclear Medicine Technolgoist | 6,080,000 SLL | ![]() |
Nutrition Assistant | 4,200,000 SLL | ![]() |
Occupaitional Therapy Assistant | 4,350,000 SLL | ![]() |
Operating Room Scheduler | 4,100,000 SLL | ![]() |
Operating Room Services Director | 12,700,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Assistant | 4,670,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician | 4,650,000 SLL | ![]() |
Optician | 9,850,000 SLL | ![]() |
Orthopedic Technician | 4,690,000 SLL | ![]() |
Orthoptist | 11,900,000 SLL | ![]() |
Orthotist | 11,900,000 SLL | ![]() |
Pathology Assistant | 4,390,000 SLL | ![]() |
Perfusionist | 12,900,000 SLL | ![]() |
Phlebotomist | 3,130,000 SLL | ![]() |
Pre Authorization Case Manager | 5,990,000 SLL | ![]() |
Prosthetist | 9,690,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiation Therapist | 15,300,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiation Therapy Technologist | 5,820,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiographer | 10,100,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiography Technologist | 5,790,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiologic Technologist | 6,180,000 SLL | ![]() |
Radiology Technologist | 5,820,000 SLL | ![]() |
Respiratory Care Practitioner | 11,200,000 SLL | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapist | 8,230,000 SLL | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapy Technician | 4,910,000 SLL | ![]() |
Sonographer | 6,210,000 SLL | ![]() |
Sonography Technologist | 6,360,000 SLL | ![]() |
Speech and Language Pathologist | 9,320,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ultrasonographer | 4,970,000 SLL | ![]() |
Ultrasound Technologist | 4,740,000 SLL | ![]() |
Vascular Technologist | 4,390,000 SLL | ![]() |
X-Ray Technologist | 5,970,000 SLL | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Freetown | 4,330,000 SLL |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Sierra Leone earn 14% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 5,250,000 SLL | |
Public Sector | +14% | 5,990,000 SLL |