A person working as a Laboratory Technician in Guatemala typically earns around 7,610 GTQ per month. Salaries range from 3,800 GTQ (lowest) to 11,800 GTQ (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 Guatemala range from 3,800 GTQ per month (minimum salary) to 11,800 GTQ per month (maximum salary).
The median salary is 7,610 GTQ per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 7,610 GTQ while the other half are earning more than 7,610 GTQ. 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 5,130 GTQ while 75% of them are earning more than 5,130 GTQ. Also from the diagram, 75% of Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 9,700 GTQ while 25% are earning more than 9,700 GTQ.
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 4,560 GTQ per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 6,040 GTQ per month, 32% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 8,080 GTQ per month, 34% 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 9,630 GTQ per month, 19% 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 10,400 GTQ per month, 8% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 11,100 GTQ per month, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 4,560 GTQ | |
2 - 5 Years | +32% | 6,040 GTQ |
5 - 10 Years | +34% | 8,080 GTQ |
10 - 15 Years | +19% | 9,630 GTQ |
15 - 20 Years | +8% | 10,400 GTQ |
20+ Years | +7% | 11,100 GTQ |
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 6,520 GTQ per month.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 10,300 GTQ per month, 58% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
Bachelor's Degree | 6,520 GTQ | |
Master's Degree | +58% | 10,300 GTQ |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Guatemala costs anywhere from 52,400 Quetzal(s) to 157,000 Quetzal(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 Guatemala earn 6% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 7,810 GTQ | |
Female | -6% | 7,360 GTQ |
Laboratory Technician(s) in Guatemala are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 8% every 19 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 7% granted to employees every 19 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 | 8% | |
Energy | 7% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 5% | |
Travel | 4% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 2% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Guatemala 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.
73% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 27% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 3% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 27% | |
No Bonus | 73% |
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 42% 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 | 19,700 GTQ | ![]() |
Admitting Officer | 7,290 GTQ | ![]() |
Ambulance Dispatcher | 7,730 GTQ | ![]() |
Ambulance Driver | 7,020 GTQ | ![]() |
Ambulance Officer and Paramedic | 8,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Ambulatory Services Director | 15,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor | 17,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Anesthesia Technician | 11,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Anesthesiologist | 30,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Anesthesiology Assistant | 11,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Assistant Optometrist | 8,880 GTQ | ![]() |
Audiologist | 18,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Director | 14,000 GTQ | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Technician | 7,260 GTQ | ![]() |
Cardiac Technician | 6,940 GTQ | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Specialist | 40,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Technologist | 15,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Central Sterile Processing Technician | 8,520 GTQ | ![]() |
Charge Entry Specialist | 8,980 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Application Specialist | 9,510 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Biochemist | 17,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Cytogeneticist | 15,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Data Reviewer | 9,410 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Development Specialist | 11,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Field Associate | 9,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Genetic Technologist | 14,400 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Microbiologist | 19,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Molecular Geneticist | 16,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Neuropsychologist | 21,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Research Coordinator | 10,400 GTQ | ![]() |
Clinical Scientist | 19,700 GTQ | ![]() |
CME Specialist | 15,500 GTQ | ![]() |
CT Technologist | 9,170 GTQ | ![]() |
Cytogenetic Technologist | 13,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 10,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Dispensing Optician | 9,010 GTQ | ![]() |
Dosimetrist | 13,000 GTQ | ![]() |
EKG Technician | 8,910 GTQ | ![]() |
Endoscopic Assistant | 8,280 GTQ | ![]() |
Endoscopy Technician | 7,840 GTQ | ![]() |
Enterostomal Therapist | 12,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Epidemiologist | 16,200 GTQ | ![]() |
FGP Ultrasound Techncian | 7,850 GTQ | ![]() |
Health Systems Specialist | 11,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Health Technologist | 13,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Healthcare Data Analyst | 9,440 GTQ | ![]() |
Hearing Aid Specialist | 9,710 GTQ | ![]() |
Histotechnologist | 12,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Immunologist | 18,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Industrial Hygienist | 13,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Infection Control Coordinator | 9,630 GTQ | ![]() |
Infection Control Practitioner | 20,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Infection Preventionist | 14,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Informatics Practice Specialist | 10,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Interventional Radiographer | 15,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Lab Assistant | 7,470 GTQ | ![]() |
Laboratory Manager | 14,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Laboratory Technician | 7,610 GTQ | ![]() |
Low Vision Therapist | 17,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Mammography Technician | 7,560 GTQ | ![]() |
Medical Coder | 7,020 GTQ | ![]() |
Medical Courier | 5,430 GTQ | ![]() |
Medical Equipment Preparer | 7,670 GTQ | ![]() |
Medical Forms Designer | 6,540 GTQ | ![]() |
Medical Technologist | 8,750 GTQ | ![]() |
MRI Technologist | 7,730 GTQ | ![]() |
Music Therapist | 11,400 GTQ | ![]() |
Neonatologist | 22,400 GTQ | ![]() |
Neurodiagnostic Techncian | 8,260 GTQ | ![]() |
Neuropsychology Testing Assistant | 7,120 GTQ | ![]() |
Nuclear Medical Technician | 10,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Nuclear Medicine Technolgoist | 10,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Nutrition Assistant | 7,710 GTQ | ![]() |
Occupaitional Therapy Assistant | 8,620 GTQ | ![]() |
Operating Room Scheduler | 6,950 GTQ | ![]() |
Operating Room Services Director | 23,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Assistant | 8,760 GTQ | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician | 8,670 GTQ | ![]() |
Optician | 18,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Orthopedic Technician | 8,680 GTQ | ![]() |
Orthoptist | 23,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Orthotist | 23,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Pathology Assistant | 8,080 GTQ | ![]() |
Perfusionist | 24,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Phlebotomist | 5,780 GTQ | ![]() |
Pre Authorization Case Manager | 11,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Prosthetist | 19,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiation Therapist | 27,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiation Therapy Technologist | 11,500 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiographer | 18,600 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiography Technologist | 11,400 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiologic Technologist | 10,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Radiology Technologist | 11,000 GTQ | ![]() |
Respiratory Care Practitioner | 20,300 GTQ | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapist | 15,200 GTQ | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapy Technician | 8,840 GTQ | ![]() |
Sonographer | 11,100 GTQ | ![]() |
Sonography Technologist | 10,800 GTQ | ![]() |
Speech and Language Pathologist | 16,900 GTQ | ![]() |
Ultrasonographer | 8,860 GTQ | ![]() |
Ultrasound Technologist | 8,560 GTQ | ![]() |
Vascular Technologist | 7,610 GTQ | ![]() |
X-Ray Technologist | 11,000 GTQ | ![]() |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Guatemala earn 11% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 10,000 GTQ | |
Public Sector | +11% | 11,100 GTQ |