Chemical Technicians
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.
- Median pay
- $60,390
- Doing it now
- 60,000
- By 2035
- Up 4.9%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
a year
across the country
7,600 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.
- Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy.
- Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials.
- Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses.
- Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers.
- Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.
- Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- ChemistrySee 1,170 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $60,390 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.