diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/_tabs-common.scss b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/_tabs-common.scss
index 1ae4d6589c3f..b5c5fb5c09be 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/_tabs-common.scss
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/_tabs-common.scss
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ $mat-tab-animation-duration: 500ms !default;
     z-index: 2;
     -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
     touch-action: none;
+    box-sizing: content-box;
+    background: none;
+    border: none;
+    outline: 0;
+    padding: 0;
+
+    &::-moz-focus-inner {
+      border: 0;
+    }
 
     .mat-ripple-element {
       opacity: map.get(mdc-ripple.$dark-ink-opacities, press);
diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-header.html b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-header.html
index 90931f7cd96d..93b780ddbeab 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-header.html
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-header.html
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 <!-- TODO: this also had `mat-elevation-z4`. Figure out what we should do with it. -->
-<div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-before"
+<button class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-before"
      #previousPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
+     type="button"
      mat-ripple
+     tabindex="-1"
      [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollBefore || disableRipple"
      [class.mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollBefore"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollBefore || null"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('before')"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('before', $event)"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>
 
 <div
   class="mat-mdc-tab-label-container"
@@ -28,14 +31,17 @@
 </div>
 
 <!-- TODO: this also had `mat-elevation-z4`. Figure out what we should do with it. -->
-<div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-after"
+<button class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-after"
      #nextPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
+     type="button"
      mat-ripple
      [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollAfter || disableRipple"
-     [class.mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollAfter"
+     [class.mat-mdc-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollAfter"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollAfter || null"
+     tabindex="-1"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('after', $event)"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('after')"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>
diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.html b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.html
index 10e25a46578c..f01013da5ce6 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.html
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-tabs/tab-nav-bar/tab-nav-bar.html
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 <!-- TODO: this also had `mat-elevation-z4`. Figure out what we should do with it. -->
-<div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-before"
+<button class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-before"
      #previousPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
-     mat-ripple [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollBefore || disableRipple"
+     type="button"
+     mat-ripple
+     tabindex="-1"
+     [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollBefore || disableRipple"
      [class.mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollBefore"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollBefore || null"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('before')"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('before', $event)"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>
 
 <div class="mat-mdc-tab-link-container" #tabListContainer (keydown)="_handleKeydown($event)">
   <div class="mat-mdc-tab-list" #tabList (cdkObserveContent)="_onContentChanges()">
@@ -19,13 +23,17 @@
 </div>
 
 <!-- TODO: this also had `mat-elevation-z4`. Figure out what we should do with it. -->
-<div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-after"
+<button class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-after"
      #nextPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
-     mat-ripple [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollAfter || disableRipple"
+     type="button"
+     mat-ripple
+     [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollAfter || disableRipple"
      [class.mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollAfter"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollAfter || null"
+     tabindex="-1"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('after', $event)"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('after')"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-mdc-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>
diff --git a/src/material/tabs/tab-header.html b/src/material/tabs/tab-header.html
index f963f9f3d003..2a67d1eefc92 100644
--- a/src/material/tabs/tab-header.html
+++ b/src/material/tabs/tab-header.html
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
-<div class="mat-tab-header-pagination mat-tab-header-pagination-before mat-elevation-z4"
+<button class="mat-tab-header-pagination mat-tab-header-pagination-before mat-elevation-z4"
      #previousPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
-     mat-ripple [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollBefore || disableRipple"
+     type="button"
+     mat-ripple
+     tabindex="-1"
+     [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollBefore || disableRipple"
      [class.mat-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollBefore"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollBefore || null"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('before')"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('before', $event)"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>
 
 <div class="mat-tab-label-container" #tabListContainer (keydown)="_handleKeydown($event)">
   <div
@@ -23,13 +27,17 @@
   </div>
 </div>
 
-<div class="mat-tab-header-pagination mat-tab-header-pagination-after mat-elevation-z4"
+<button class="mat-tab-header-pagination mat-tab-header-pagination-after mat-elevation-z4"
      #nextPaginator
      aria-hidden="true"
-     mat-ripple [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollAfter || disableRipple"
+     type="button"
+     mat-ripple
+     [matRippleDisabled]="_disableScrollAfter || disableRipple"
      [class.mat-tab-header-pagination-disabled]="_disableScrollAfter"
+     [disabled]="_disableScrollAfter || null"
+     tabindex="-1"
      (mousedown)="_handlePaginatorPress('after', $event)"
      (click)="_handlePaginatorClick('after')"
      (touchend)="_stopInterval()">
   <div class="mat-tab-header-pagination-chevron"></div>
-</div>
+</button>