Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Pathology collector recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help pathology providers, hospitals, collection centres and regional health services hire pathology collectors, from recently qualified collectors to experienced staff who can run a collection centre on their own. Collectors are not registered, so the certificate, the experience and the way a candidate handles patients shape every search we run.
Pathology collector hiring at a glance
Pathology collection is a large, mostly part-time workforce, and the award now sets pay by qualification and experience.
- people worked as pathology collectors
- 12,000
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation; 90% were women.1
- of pathology collectors worked full-time
- 43%
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation.1
- of job ads for medical technicians were regional
- 38%
- 177 of 469 ads with a location, three months to September 2026, against 29% of all job ads. Pathology collectors are counted within this wider group.4
- national rating for Pathology Collector in 2026
- Not in shortage
- Rated NS on the ANZSCO 2022 sheet.2
What does a pathology collector do?
Pathology collectors extract, collect, label and preserve blood and other specimens from patients for laboratory analysis.1 The work happens in collection centres, hospital wards, aged care homes, medical practices and patients' homes, and some collectors take specimens for workplace drug and alcohol testing.
The national qualification is HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology, released in December 2025. It merged the former Certificate III in Pathology Collection and Certificate III in Pathology Assistance, and candidates now complete one of two specialisations: Pathology Collection, which includes at least 35 hours of venous blood collection work, or Pathology Assistance.6,7 Under the award, holding a Certificate III in pathology collection, together with industry experience, decides a collector's classification and minimum pay.5
Licences, tickets and certifications for pathology collectors
Pathology collectors are not registered through Ahpra, and the current national qualification lists no licensing requirements at publication. Employers ask for the certificate, experience and the checks their own policies set.
What a pathology collector holds, and who sets it, opened 1 November 2026.
| Item | What it means for the hire |
|---|---|
| Registration | No registration: pathology collection is not one of the 15 national health practitioner boards8 |
| HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology (Pathology Collection) | The current national qualification for collection work; it replaced HLT37215 Certificate III in Pathology Collection6,7 |
| Licensing | The qualification lists no licensing, legislative or certification requirements at publication7 |
| Award classification | A Certificate III in pathology collection and months of industry experience set Level 5, 6 or 7 under the award5 |
| Experienced without the certificate | Unqualified collectors with 12 months to 2 years' experience are classed at Level 6, and those with 2 years or more at Level 75 |
What does a pathology collector earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award sets transitional minimum rates for pathology collectors until 31 December 2026. A full-time entry-level collector earns at least $1,157.20 a week, and an experienced collector with the Certificate III and 12 months' experience $1,241.40.5 Collectors under a state public sector award fall outside it.5
No median is published for pathology collectors alone. The national median for medical technicians, the group that also covers anaesthetic, cardiac, operating theatre, pharmacy and laboratory technicians, was $1,539 a week, or $39 an hour, in May 2025.1 Only 43% of collectors worked full-time in 2021, so we talk with you about hours, shift times, travel between sites and the rate that will compete locally.
Pathology collector minimum rates under clause 16.2(c), full-time weekly and hourly, from 1 July 2026 until 31 December 2026.5
| Classification | Who it covers | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5, entry level | Unqualified, less than 12 months' experience | $1,157.205 | $30.45 |
| Level 6, qualified | Certificate III with less than 12 months' experience, or unqualified with 12 months to 2 years | $1,163.90 | $30.63 |
| Level 7, unqualified | Unqualified with 2 years or more, and not Level 6 on 31 March 2026 | $1,203.50 | $31.67 |
| Level 7, qualified | Certificate III with 12 months or more, or Level 6 on 31 March 2026 | $1,241.40 | $32.67 |
Where are pathology collectors in demand?
Job ads are published only for medical technicians as a whole, the group that also covers anaesthetic, cardiac, operating theatre, pharmacy and laboratory technicians. They averaged 481 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 487 a year earlier, with Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland carrying the most.3
The group has a high regional share: 177 of 469 ads with a location were regional.4 Tell us whether your collector will work alone at a small centre or ward, because that shapes the experience to look for.
Online job ads for medical technicians (including pathology collectors) by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.3
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 1413 | 135 |
| New South Wales | 126 | 125 |
| Queensland | 103 | 104 |
| Western Australia | 63 | 61 |
| South Australia | 29 | 40 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 9 | 9 |
| Northern Territory | 6 | 4 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 9 |
Which pathology collection roles do we recruit?
Open a role for its classification, pay and what to put in your brief.
Collection centre collectors
Collectors who run or staff a community collection centre.
- Qualification
- HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology (Pathology Collection) is the current national qualification for collection work.6,7
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,163.90 to $1,241.40 a week for qualified collectors (until 31 December 2026). Market median: $1,539 a week (medical technicians, May 2025).1,5
- Workforce
- 43% of pathology collectors worked full-time in 2021.1
- What to tell us
- Whether the collector works alone, the opening hours, the patient volume, paediatric collections and the courier times.
Hospital and ward collectors
Collectors for hospital wards, emergency departments and outpatient clinics.
- Award position
- Collectors under a state public sector award fall outside the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.5
- Classification
- Level 6 covers a Certificate III with under 12 months' experience, or 12 months to 2 years without it.5
- Rating
- Pathology Collector is rated not in shortage for 2026.2
- What to tell us
- The wards covered, early morning rounds, weekend rosters and how specimens reach the laboratory.
Home visit, aged care and workplace collectors
Mobile collectors who visit homes, aged care homes and workplaces.
- Scope
- Collectors extract, collect, label and preserve blood and other specimens for analysis.1
- Entry level
- An unqualified collector with under 12 months' experience starts at Level 5, $1,157.20 a week.5
- Demand
- 177 of 469 ads for medical technicians with a location were regional.4
- What to tell us
- The area covered, vehicle and travel arrangements, drug and alcohol testing work, and the checks your policies require.
What to put in your brief for a pathology collector
Start with the setting: collection centre, hospital, home visits or workplace testing, and whether the collector works alone. Then the experience you need, including difficult or paediatric collections, and whether the Certificate III is essential.
Tell us the hours, the days, the travel between sites and the checks your organisation requires, such as police checks or immunisation records. Say plainly whether the role is full-time or part-time and when shifts start.
How we help you hire a pathology collector
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Local hires and regional coverage
We search first in and around your town, then among experienced collectors willing to travel or relocate. Tell us the hours on offer and any help with travel or relocation, so we can match the role to what each candidate is looking for.
Pathology collectors are not registered through Ahpra, so no registration transfer is involved when a collector changes states. Tell us the checks your service requires.8 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a pathology collector role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your certificate, your collection experience, the settings you have worked in and the hours you want. New and experienced collectors are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next pathology collector hire
Tell us the role, the setting, the hours and your start date.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Does a pathology collector need a licence or registration?
Not through Ahpra: pathology collectors are not registered by a national board.8 The current national qualification lists no licensing requirements at publication.7 The Certificate III and experience set their award level. Hire Australia builds your requirements, such as the certificate, police checks and immunisation records, into the brief and asks every candidate for evidence before you make an offer.
What is the award rate for a pathology collector in 2026?
Until 31 December 2026, the award's full-time minimum runs from $1,157.20 a week at entry level to $1,241.40 for an experienced collector with the Certificate III.5 The median for medical technicians, the wider group that includes collectors, was $1,539 a week in May 2025.1 Hire Australia talks through your rate early.
Which qualification should a pathology collector hold?
For collection work, ask for HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology (Pathology Collection). It replaced the Certificate III in Pathology Collection in December 2025, and only the collection specialisation requires venous blood collection work.6,7 Collectors who trained under the old certificate still hold a recognised qualification. Hire Australia asks candidates which certificate they hold and for how long they have collected.
How regional is demand for pathology collectors?
The published figures don't isolate collectors. For medical technicians, the wider group that includes them, 38% of ads with a location were regional in the three months to September 2026 (177 of 469), against 29% for all job ads.4 Hire Australia searches in and around your town first, then widens the search to collectors willing to travel or move.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply whether Hire Australia recruits an entry-level collector or an experienced centre collector.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Sources (8)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Medians: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, 4-digit groups. Employment: 4-digit February 2026, trend; 6-digit occupations, 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026, ANZSCO 2022 coding. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional; unclassified ads excluded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clauses 4, 16, 17 and Schedules A and B. Consolidated award incorporating amendments to 1 October 2026 (PR814029). Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded (clause 4.6). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology (release 1, 22 December 2025; current; replaced HLT37215 Certificate III in Pathology Collection). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology, qualification document (generated 22 December 2025): Pathology Collection and Pathology Assistance specialisations; no licensing requirements at publication. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), National Boards (the 15 National Boards). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑