# How long do large Australian professional, scientific and technical services businesses take to pay small businesses?

Large Australian professional, scientific and technical services businesses take a median of 25.4 days to pay their small business suppliers, 0.4 days slower than the median of 25 days for all industries. The industry ranks 7 of 18, where 1 is the slowest payer.

Figures cover large Australian businesses paying their small business suppliers only.

- Median days to pay small business: 25.4 (all industries: 25)
- Slowest-paying rank: 7 of 18
- Small business invoices paid late, median entity: 31.1%
- Companies entering external administration, 12 months: 1,022
- Reporting entities: 243

## Findings

- How many invoices are paid late? At the median entity, 31.1% of small business invoices are paid late, 5.1 points above the figure for all industries of 26%.
- How long do most take? The middle half of entities pay in 17.9 to 34.3 days. A quarter take longer than 34.3 days.
- How many businesses became insolvent? 1,022 professional, scientific and technical services companies entered external administration over September 2025 to August 2026, rank 4 of 18 by number of cases. This is a count, not a rate.

## Where does professional, scientific and technical services rank?

1. Manufacturing pays small business suppliers in a median of 31.8 days.
2. Construction pays small business suppliers in a median of 30 days.
3. Mining pays small business suppliers in a median of 28 days.
4. Wholesale Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
5. Transport, Postal and Warehousing pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
6. Retail Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.9 days.
7. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.4 days.
8. Health Care and Social Assistance pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
9. Other Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
10. Information Media and Telecommunications pays small business suppliers in a median of 24 days.
11. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing pays small business suppliers in a median of 23 days.
12. Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.7 days.
13. Public Administration and Safety pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.1 days.
14. Accommodation and Food Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.7 days.
15. Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.3 days.
16. Administrative and Support Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.6 days.
17. Arts and Recreation Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.3 days.
18. Financial and Insurance Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 14.6 days.

## Which professional, scientific and technical services subdivisions pay slowest?

Professional, scientific and technical services (except computer system design and related services) is the slowest subdivision at 26.1 days. Computer system design and related services is the fastest at 24.5 days.

| Subdivision | Median days | Middle half | Paid late | Entities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services (except computer system design and related services) | 26.1 | 18.4 to 35.1 | 30.3% | 166 |
| Computer system design and related services | 24.5 | 17 to 32.1 | 32.4% | 77 |

Businesses that sell to professional, scientific and technical services businesses can compare these figures with their own debtor days. Paidnice is [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software): it sends reminders and adds late fees on overdue invoices in Xero or QuickBooks. See [Paidnice for MSPs and IT services](https://www.paidnice.com/industries/msps).

## Related guides

- [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software)
- [Debtor management in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/debtor-management-software-australia)
- [What is debtor management?](https://www.paidnice.com/dictionary/debtor-management)
- [Australian accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/australia)
- [Late fees in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/late-fees-in-australia)
- [Collecting debt in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/full-guide-collecting-debt-in-australia)
- [Accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics)
- [Accounts receivable software](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-software)

## Method and sources

This page reports how long large companies take to pay, from government payment filings. How long small businesses wait to be paid is a different measure on a different group of businesses, and it is on the accounts receivable statistics pages.

## Cite

Paidnice (2026). Australian professional, scientific and technical services payment times. https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/au/professional-scientific-technical-services. Source: Payment Times Reporting Scheme register (reports ending March 2025 to June 2026), ASIC insolvency statistics (© Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0).