SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-4031.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $41,740 | $3,478 | $803 | $20.07 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $48,530 | $4,044 | $933 | $23.33 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $60,390 | $5,032 | $1,161 | $29.03 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $75,900 | $6,325 | $1,460 | $36.49 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $92,040 | $7,670 | $1,770 | $44.25 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Chemical Technicians is $60,390, which is 18% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 42 by median pay. With 57,540 jobs, it makes up about 3.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Chemical Technicians pay by state
The highest median pay was in Louisiana ($85,850), Alaska ($79,380) and Delaware ($78,620). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($37,510), Arkansas ($45,230) and New Hampshire ($48,940). The most jobs were in California (6,800), Texas (6,090) and Ohio (3,120). The occupation is most concentrated in Delaware, where its share of all jobs is 3.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 960 | $85,850 | $85,720 | $41.28 |
| Alaska | 100 | $79,380 | $76,020 | $38.17 |
| Delaware | 540 | $78,620 | $72,110 | $37.80 |
| South Carolina | 2,080 | $75,020 | $68,300 | $36.07 |
| Missouri | 720 | $68,550 | $70,700 | $32.96 |
| Massachusetts | 1,780 | $67,570 | $70,220 | $32.48 |
| Arizona | 390 | $65,860 | $70,090 | $31.66 |
| Vermont | 150 | $65,560 | $69,860 | $31.52 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $63,910 | $72,990 | $30.73 |
| Colorado | 1,180 | $63,770 | $68,160 | $30.66 |
| Nebraska | 280 | $62,640 | $63,510 | $30.12 |
| Texas | 6,090 | $62,580 | $70,480 | $30.09 |
| Minnesota | 870 | $62,400 | $68,240 | $30.00 |
| Washington | 730 | $62,100 | $64,580 | $29.86 |
| Illinois | 1,320 | $61,890 | $65,850 | $29.76 |
| Rhode Island | 190 | $61,680 | $62,330 | $29.66 |
| Kansas | 370 | $61,560 | $63,190 | $29.59 |
| Nevada | 1,050 | $61,520 | $65,150 | $29.58 |
| New York | 2,200 | $60,900 | $62,830 | $29.28 |
| Kentucky | 700 | $60,830 | $63,000 | $29.25 |
| Oklahoma | 610 | $60,020 | $64,110 | $28.86 |
| Ohio | 3,120 | $59,750 | $62,150 | $28.73 |
| California | 6,800 | $59,510 | $64,570 | $28.61 |
| Wisconsin | 1,090 | $59,440 | $61,130 | $28.58 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,710 | $59,420 | $62,260 | $28.57 |
| Indiana | 1,990 | $59,290 | $61,580 | $28.50 |
| North Carolina | 2,660 | $59,030 | $61,120 | $28.38 |
| West Virginia | 230 | $58,750 | $61,190 | $28.24 |
| New Jersey | 2,730 | $58,580 | $61,990 | $28.16 |
| Michigan | 2,220 | $58,180 | $61,340 | $27.97 |
| Alabama | 1,190 | $58,150 | $61,020 | $27.96 |
| Georgia | 850 | $58,120 | $62,130 | $27.94 |
| Iowa | 440 | $58,090 | $58,510 | $27.93 |
| Oregon | 340 | $57,960 | $57,450 | $27.87 |
| North Dakota | 150 | $57,760 | $58,600 | $27.77 |
| Connecticut | 510 | $57,310 | $60,390 | $27.56 |
| District of Columbia | 30 | $56,530 | $55,130 | $27.18 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $56,320 | $64,330 | $27.08 |
| New Mexico | 250 | $55,120 | $62,270 | $26.50 |
| Tennessee | 1,470 | $54,840 | $58,170 | $26.36 |
| Mississippi | 480 | $54,580 | $57,280 | $26.24 |
| Idaho | 170 | $54,560 | $54,240 | $26.23 |
| Florida | 1,840 | $54,050 | $56,340 | $25.99 |
| Montana | 240 | $52,890 | $64,140 | $25.43 |
| Virginia | 1,370 | $51,850 | $55,460 | $24.93 |
| Maine | 100 | $49,280 | $54,940 | $23.69 |
| Maryland | 590 | $49,280 | $53,990 | $23.69 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $49,030 | $49,750 | $23.57 |
| Utah | 580 | $49,030 | $56,740 | $23.57 |
| New Hampshire | 220 | $48,940 | $48,410 | $23.53 |
| Arkansas | 500 | $45,230 | $50,350 | $21.74 |
| Puerto Rico | 990 | $37,510 | $42,140 | $18.04 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 a year
- Social Science Research Assistants$61,990 a year
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians$61,560 a year
- Biological Technicians$57,510 a year
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$55,090 a year
- Forest and Conservation Technicians$54,560 a year
Common questions
How much do Chemical Technicians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $60,390 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $41,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $92,040.
How many people work as Chemical Technicians?
About 57,540 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.