Australia's Science Forum

Hi there everyone

Can you people give me an indication of hourly rates for a science tech in Australia.
Also, are you paid for school holidays?
I am writing to the Minister in NZ, and I need some comparison figures.
I know we get about the same as shelf-stackers. :
Minister gets a larger salary.
Rolling Stones get a bigger salary, but then they have far greater longevity then any politician.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Nat

Great timing...I would be interested in where schools stand with the Modern Award..I was told well we pay above the modern award, but the modern award is so out of date compared to Catholic award 2008 and the vic Deet award 2008..how do other independent schools dealing with this issue.




d

I am in the Catholic system and I am in the old scale Level 5 Step 3......the highest level and my hourly rate is $26.? per hour ...can't remember the decimals.
Have never worked the school holidays in 20 years as a Lab Tech although some in the Catholic system do.I am classed as permanent part time.
Under the new classification to go to Level 6 you must have a degree...I have a Diploma so no level 6.
If you can get hold of the Anglican schools new classification it is the best...great conditions and opportunity.

I am in NSW Catholic System. My gross hourly rate is $26.53.
I am on Level 5, and only a Principal's Secretary or Bursar ever gets to level 6.
Most labtechs in the Diocese are classed at level 3, which is lower paid.
We are only paid for 40 weeks a year - not paid for holidays.
But our pay is averaged over the whole year so we get a fortnightly wage, so the rate would need to be calculated to reflect this - therefore it would be higher.
Most labtechs are paid for 30 hours a week. A very few of us, with fantastic Principals who recognise the extra hours we all put in unpaid and manage to squeeze more money out of the system, are paid for more hours a week.
Hope that helps.

Hi Nat

I am in an NSW Anglican School, and am the same as Sunray, only I work 31hrs/wk. Good luck with it all

Cheer
Lisa

I am in the NSW Govt system. All school assistants, science or office staff, get paid the same. Haven't got a pay slip here but it is about $23.50 per hour 31 1/4 hours per week, and paid all year round. About $39,000 per year. Hope this helps.

Check your hourly rate, Dime we just got a rise?????????????????????

Like I said I haven't got a payslip here, and to be quite honest as long as I get paid each fortnight I don't care.

Yes we all get paid the same with the DET, degree or not, which I have. Still it is my choice to work here and I quite enjoy my work and the people I work with (well most anyway). Can't complain about the holidays either!

I will add that all School Support staff are on the same award in our system, except for the maintenance,ground staff, and cleaners who have their own award.
We have approached the EIU to try to try to have this addressed, as Science Support Staff do require more training and skill and knowledge than the person on reception desk, and if we make a mistake we could cause injury to occur to students and staff. Our responsibilities are much higher than office staff. We have the responsibility of Chemsafety, and most of us have to do the Chemical Safety for the whole school - with all that entails as to Workcover documents etc.
We feel that we should have a different Award and pay rate to compensate us for all this, but of course, the Schools do not want to listen because it will mean they will have to pay us what we are WORTH!
If you are approaching government bodies try for this as well... may as well give it a go!

Thank you all for your replies.
I appreciate there will be a difference between Australian and NZ rates.
However, I can do a bit of statistical manipulation when I write to our Minister of Education.
I would like to tell you I only work part-time, 10 hours per week, at a relatively small school (around 500 students).
As I am also a old bloke, I only do this job to keep me occupied, and to keep the grey matter working.
My HOD says I should proceed with this project, to keep the Minister on her toes.
Could be fun.
Cheers
Nat

Just on the hour thing, there are only 570 students at our high school (year 7-12), and I am full time 31¼hours. 10 hours aren't much unless your school is Kindy to year 12.

G'day Nat,
Here in Victoria a new agreement came into force in 2008. From this I have had a couple of increases with 2 more to come (I think?). At this stage I am on $47,000+ and should finish on $50,000+. This is paid over the whole year. And I am highly experienced. There are others who would earn more than me, but they would have staff answering to them. All Science Laboratory Technicians in Victorian Government schools would be on a similar wage to me. Only yearly increases would be the difference.
We get 3 term holidays of 2 weeks each and end of year is usually about 5 weeks. We can be asked to work up to 6 days over these breaks, but only during 2 school breaks, at the start or the end of the holiday period.
It has been a long battle to get even where we are now. To have our skills, knowledge and performance adequately reimbursed. It is finally coming our way.
You need to be in for the long haul Nat.
If you work it out on a 42 week year, then I get paid $29.44+ per hour.
Or, if I had to go into work every day, ~ $24.
Good Luck
You will need time to achieve.
This will give you something to live for, I can see it now.
Good Luck
Maree

I get paid for 30 hours a week for 42 weeks,over the whole year. So I get paid the same every fortnight. The hourly rate on my pay slip is $21 but that is because it gets averaged out over the whole year, but at the end of the day im only on about $32,000 a year

I have my award document in front of me. As a Level 3 on a 4 tier system, If I were to work 37.5 hours a week and 48 (+4 annual leave) weeks a year, apparently I would earn $53,170. As it is, I only work 28 hours a week and 44 weeks a year (averaged over the whole year) and I have a salary sacrificed car loan through school, so my pay slip says $24.82 per hour.
My joke with my wife is that she gets paid more in Centerlink benefits than my "After Tax" income!

I hope this helps!

Ian

Hello pals
You will be pleased to hear I have gone up a step. Not by foot, but in my pay rate.
A massive 62 cent increase
Our teachers go on strike on 15 September. They want 4%, govt is offering 1.4%.
I hear you have a 20 year old MP from Queensland. There's a guy into a good job
Cheers
Nat

natfrog wrote:Hello pals
You will be pleased to hear I have gone up a step. Not by foot, but in my pay rate.
A massive 62 cent increase
Our teachers go on strike on 15 September. They want 4%, govt is offering 1.4%.
I hear you have a 20 year old MP from Queensland. There's a guy into a good job
Cheers
Nat

62cents! Is that per hour or per week? You had better watch out or they will be reducing your hours in order to pay for the increase!

On this side of "the ditch" we don't work for money, we just do it for the love of the job and all the appreciation we get from the "Upper Hierarchy". (of course, you believe all that, don't you?

Actually, I am looking at the new 2011 - 2014 Award Agreement for Independent Schools (that we have to vote on soon) and it is offering us a 3.2% increase next year, 3.6% in 2012, 4% in 2013, and 3.8% in 2014. Howzat! Mind you, they will try and find SOME way to get around it

All the best with your pay claims Natfrog

Hahahaha I just read that as "62 PERcent"!! I thought "what?? My goodness!! How did you manage that??" Then I read it again... Oh well, I was extremely excited for you for that very brief moment!!

Wow! 62 cents. Try not to spend it all at once!

And frankly the 20-yr-old MP is just an attempt to get the overall average age of a Qld politician down into only double digits!

I'm with you Rosalie, and read it as 62 percent! Gosh Natfrog, I thought you had almost won the lottery for 10 seconds! and was about to congratulate you most heartily. Oh well, now the bubble has burst, I suppose 62 cents is marginally better than a hit in the head.