Chemical Technicians Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for chemical technicians in the U.S. is $60,390 ($29.03 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $60,390
- Mean annual wage
- $63,900
- Median hourly wage
- $29.03
- Employment
- 57,540
57,540 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,740 | $20.07 |
| 25th percentile | $48,530 | $23.33 |
| Median (50th) | $60,390 | $29.03 |
| 75th percentile | $75,900 | $36.49 |
| 90th percentile | $92,040 | $44.25 |
Highest-paying states for chemical technicians
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $85,850 | 960 |
| Alaska | $79,380 | 100 |
| Delaware | $78,620 | 540 |
| South Carolina | $75,020 | 2,080 |
| Missouri | $68,550 | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $67,570 | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $65,860 | 390 |
| Vermont | $65,560 | 150 |
| Hawaii | $63,910 | 40 |
| Colorado | $63,770 | 1,180 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $45,230 median annual wage
- New Hampshire: $48,940 median annual wage
- Utah: $49,030 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $49,030 median annual wage
- Maryland: $49,280 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products.
- Write technical reports or prepare graphs or charts to document experimental results.
- Operate experimental pilot plants, assisting with experimental design.
- Design or fabricate experimental apparatus to develop new products or processes.
- Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy.
- Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Associate's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 4.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 25.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.0% |
| Associate's degree | 13.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 30.7% |
| Master's degree | 5.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.0% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220
- Chemists$91,240
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$100,580
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280
- Biological Technicians$57,510
- School Psychologists$95,990
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.