Chemical Technicians: salary, outlook & degrees
Conduct chemical and physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative and quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, and gaseous materials for research and development of new products or processes, quality control, maintenance of environmental standards, and other work involving experimental, theoretical, or practical application of chemistry and related sciences.
Middle half $48,530–$75,900. 57,540 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
56% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $57,721.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 7,600 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 21% | Biology |
| Chemistry | 17% | Chemistry |
| Psychology | 6% | Psychology |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 4% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Environmental Science | 4% | Environmental Science / Conservation |
| Chemical Engineering | 3% | Chemical Engineering |
| Business Management And Administration | 2% | Business Administration |
| Liberal Arts | 2% | Liberal Arts / General Studies |
| Microbiology | 2% | Microbiological Sciences and Immunology |
| Computer Science | 2% | Computer Science |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | $85,850 |
| Alaska | $79,380 |
| Delaware | $78,620 |
| South Carolina | $75,020 |
| Missouri | $68,550 |
| Massachusetts | $67,570 |
| Arizona | $65,860 |
| Vermont | $65,560 |
| Hawaii | $63,910 |
| Colorado | $63,770 |
| Nebraska | $62,640 |
| Texas | $62,580 |
| Minnesota | $62,400 |
| Washington | $62,100 |
| Illinois | $61,890 |
| Rhode Island | $61,680 |
| Kansas | $61,560 |
| Nevada | $61,520 |
| New York | $60,900 |
| Kentucky | $60,830 |
| Oklahoma | $60,020 |
| Ohio | $59,750 |
| California | $59,510 |
| Wisconsin | $59,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,420 |
| Indiana | $59,290 |
| North Carolina | $59,030 |
| West Virginia | $58,750 |
| New Jersey | $58,580 |
| Michigan | $58,180 |
| Alabama | $58,150 |
| Georgia | $58,120 |
| Iowa | $58,090 |
| Oregon | $57,960 |
| North Dakota | $57,760 |
| Connecticut | $57,310 |
| District of Columbia | $56,530 |
| Wyoming | $56,320 |
| New Mexico | $55,120 |
| Tennessee | $54,840 |
| Mississippi | $54,580 |
| Idaho | $54,560 |
| Florida | $54,050 |
| Montana | $52,890 |
| Virginia | $51,850 |
| Maryland | $49,280 |
| Maine | $49,280 |
| South Dakota | $49,030 |
| Utah | $49,030 |
| New Hampshire | $48,940 |
| Arkansas | $45,230 |
| PR | $37,510 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$54,750
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$50,840
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$45,730
- Jacksonville$49,930
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$57,670
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$57,420
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$58,040
- Gainesville$47,170
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$57,880
- Richmond$50,790
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$49,820
- Charlottesville$52,600
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$57,670
- Lynchburg$62,710
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$58,070
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$71,470
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$57,270
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$67,140
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$55,620
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$60,870
- Bakersfield-Delano$56,630
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$58,580
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Production and Processing
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Chemical Technicians: questions
How much do chemical Technicians make?
Chemical Technicians earn a U.S. median $60,390 a year; the middle half earn $48,530 to $75,900 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $55,860 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is chemical Technicians a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 4.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,600 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a chemical Technician?
BLS lists the typical entry education as associate's degree. In O*NET's survey, 44% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (21%).
How much do chemical Technicians make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $54,050 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $60,390 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 19-4031. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Chemical Technicians: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/chemical-technicians.