19 Series · SOC 19-4031

Chemical Technicians Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$60,390
Median / year
+4.5%
2024→2025
$92,040
Top 10% earn
+3.7%
Growth '24–'34
57,540
Estimated US jobs

Chemical Technicians earn a median of $60,390 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $60,390, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $41,740 (10th percentile) to $92,040 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 57,540 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Louisiana ($85,850).

19 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Chemical Technicians earn a median of $60,390, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 49% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #42 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.7% by 2034.

$60,390
Median annual wage
Top 51%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#42 of 48
in Life, Physical, and Social Science
2.2×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Louisiana at $85,850. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Chemical Technicians moved from $49,260 in May 2019 to $60,390 in May 2025 (+22.6%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Chemical Technicians sits -1.9 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Chemical Technicians (SOC 19-4031) has a national median of $60,390 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $41,740 to $92,040, and the published mean is $63,900. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 57,540 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 52 state or territory areas and 253 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $57,790 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $60,390 in May 2025, a rise of $2,600 (+4.5%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 6,700 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Louisiana pays the highest state median at $85,850, which is +42% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Baton Rouge, LA at $92,120. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

BLS OEWS May 2025 57,540 jobs Median $60,390/yr

Median Salary

$60,390

per year

Median Hourly

$29.03/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$63,900

average

Employment

57,540

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Chemical Technicians pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$60,390 Bottom 49% higher than 49% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 (this entry) 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$60,390 · 49th percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Chemical Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 24 19-series occupations with growth data, Chemical Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at +3.7% growth and $60,390 median pay. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $0$50000$100000$150000$200000 -5%0%5%10%15% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Medical Scientists, … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 8.7% · Median annual wage: $103410Occupational Health … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 12.5% · Median annual wage: $90150Environmental Scient… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.4% · Median annual wage: $82220Chemists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.9% · Median annual wage: $91240Clinical and Counsel… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 11.2% · Median annual wage: $100580Life, Physical, and … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.5% · Median annual wage: $62280Biological Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.5% · Median annual wage: $57510School Psychologists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.7% · Median annual wage: $95990Chemical Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.7% · Median annual wage: $60390Biological Scientist… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.2% · Median annual wage: $98920Urban and Regional P… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.4% · Median annual wage: $89320Social Scientists an… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.7% · Median annual wage: $101110Environmental Scienc… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4% · Median annual wage: $55090Biochemists and Biop… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.8% · Median annual wage: $127410Social Science Resea… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.4% · Median annual wage: $61990Occupational Health … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 8.5% · Median annual wage: $61560Forest and Conservat… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -3.2% · Median annual wage: $54560Conservation Scienti… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.4% · Median annual wage: $73010Geoscientists, Excep… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.2% · Median annual wage: $101920Physical Scientists,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.6% · Median annual wage: $122570Physicists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4% · Median annual wage: $172250Forensic Science Tec… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 12.8% · Median annual wage: $72060Microbiologists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.1% · Median annual wage: $87990Psychologists, All O… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.3% · Median annual wage: $110840
Among 24 19-series occupations with growth data, Chemical Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at +3.7% growth and $60,390 median pay.
Read the chart as text
  • Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
  • Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
  • Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
  • Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
  • Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
  • Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
  • Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
  • School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
  • Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
  • Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
  • Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
  • Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
  • Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
  • Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
  • Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
  • Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
  • Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
  • Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
  • Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
  • Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
  • Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
  • Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
  • Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
  • Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+3.7%

About as fast as average

Annual Openings

6,700

per year (projected)

Employment Change

+2,100

57,000 (2024) → 59,000 (2034)

Typical Education

Associate's degree

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

Fatality Rate

1.5/100K

Injury Rate

0.7/100

Danger Index

3.6/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Chemical Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Science 4.1
Reading Comprehension 4.0
Critical Thinking 4.0
Active Listening 3.9
Writing 3.9
Monitoring 3.9
Speaking 3.4
Active Learning 3.4
Operations Monitoring 3.3
Learning Strategies 3.1

Knowledge Areas

Chemistry 3.8
English Language 3.5
Mathematics 3.4
Computers and Electronics 3.1
Production and Processing 3.0
Administrative 2.9
Education and Training 2.7
Customer and Personal Service 2.4
Engineering and Technology 2.4
Mechanical 2.2

Key Tasks

  • Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials.
  • Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.
  • 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.
  • Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.
  • Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses.
  • Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits.
  • Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers.
  • Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products.
  • Train new employees on topics such as the proper operation of laboratory equipment.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$41,740
25th$48,530
Median$60,390
75th$75,900
90th$92,040

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th$20.07
25th$23.33
Median$29.03
75th$36.49
90th$44.25

Chemical Technicians pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$40,000$45,000$50,000$55,000$60,000$65,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $44,660National median - 2016: $45,840National median - 2017: $47,280National median - 2018: $48,160National median - 2019: $49,260National median - 2020: $49,820National median - 2021: $48,990National median - 2022: $50,840National median - 2023: $56,750National median - 2024: $57,790National median - 2025: $60,390$60,390
National median annual wage for Chemical Technicians, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $44,660
2016 $45,840
2017 $47,280
2018 $48,160
2019 $49,260
2020 $49,820
2021 $48,990
2022 $50,840
2023 $56,750
2024 $57,790
2025 $60,390

2015 median

$44,660

2025 median

$60,390

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$11,130 (+22.6%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+3.5%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Chemical Technicians by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $44,660 First banked release 64,770
May 2016 $45,840 +2.6% 65,510
May 2017 $47,280 +3.1% 64,550
May 2018 $48,160 +1.9% 65,500
May 2019 $49,260 Classification break 65,760
May 2020 $49,820 +1.1% 63,490
May 2021 $48,990 -1.7% 57,690
May 2022 $50,840 +3.8% 56,030
May 2023 $56,750 +11.6% 55,880
May 2024 $57,790 +1.8% 55,640
May 2025 $60,390 +4.5% 57,540

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $44,660 in May 2015 to $60,390 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.5% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 65,760 in May 2019 to 57,540 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

Salary by State

View all 52 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Louisiana $85,850 +42% above national
2 Alaska $79,380 +31% above national
3 Delaware $78,620 +30% above national
4 South Carolina $75,020 +24% above national
5 Missouri $68,550 +14% above national
6 Massachusetts $67,570 +12% above national
7 Arizona $65,860 +9% above national
8 Vermont $65,560 +9% above national
9 Hawaii $63,910 +6% above national
10 Colorado $63,770 +6% above national
11 Nebraska $62,640 +4% above national
12 Texas $62,580 +4% above national
13 Minnesota $62,400 +3% above national
14 Washington $62,100 +3% above national
15 Illinois $61,890 +2% above national
16 Rhode Island $61,680 +2% above national
17 Kansas $61,560 +2% above national
18 Nevada $61,520 +2% above national
19 New York $60,900 +1% above national
20 Kentucky $60,830 +1% above national
21 Oklahoma $60,020 1% below national
22 Ohio $59,750 1% below national
23 California $59,510 1% below national
24 Wisconsin $59,440 2% below national
25 Pennsylvania $59,420 2% below national
26 Indiana $59,290 2% below national
27 North Carolina $59,030 2% below national
28 West Virginia $58,750 3% below national
29 New Jersey $58,580 3% below national
30 Michigan $58,180 4% below national
31 Alabama $58,150 4% below national
32 Georgia $58,120 4% below national
33 Iowa $58,090 4% below national
34 Oregon $57,960 4% below national
35 North Dakota $57,760 4% below national
36 Connecticut $57,310 5% below national
37 District of Columbia $56,530 6% below national
38 Wyoming $56,320 7% below national
39 New Mexico $55,120 9% below national
40 Tennessee $54,840 9% below national
41 Mississippi $54,580 10% below national
42 Idaho $54,560 10% below national
43 Florida $54,050 10% below national
44 Montana $52,890 12% below national
45 Virginia $51,850 14% below national
46 Maine $49,280 18% below national
47 Maryland $49,280 18% below national
48 South Dakota $49,030 19% below national
49 Utah $49,030 19% below national
50 New Hampshire $48,940 19% below national
51 Arkansas $45,230 25% below national
52 Puerto Rico $37,510 38% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 193 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Baton Rouge, LA $92,120 +53% above national
2 Lake Charles, LA $88,780 +47% above national
3 Evansville, IN $85,230 +41% above national
4 Midland, MI $82,780 +37% above national
5 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA $80,410 +33% above national
6 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $80,390 +33% above national
7 Duluth, MN-WI $80,190 +33% above national
8 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $79,290 +31% above national
9 Bay City, MI $78,120 +29% above national
10 Niles, MI $77,840 +29% above national
11 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $77,220 +28% above national
12 Bellingham, WA $73,380 +22% above national
13 St. Louis, MO-IL $73,290 +21% above national
14 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV $73,090 +21% above national
15 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $71,470 +18% above national
16 Winston-Salem, NC $68,630 +14% above national
17 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $67,850 +12% above national
18 Columbia, MO $67,760 +12% above national
19 Sheboygan, WI $67,430 +12% above national
20 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $67,140 +11% above national
21 Boulder, CO $66,960 +11% above national
22 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $66,940 +11% above national
23 Lansing-East Lansing, MI $66,330 +10% above national
24 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $66,200 +10% above national
25 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $65,960 +9% above national
26 Longview, TX $65,760 +9% above national
27 Tallahassee, FL $65,430 +8% above national
28 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $65,420 +8% above national
29 Eugene-Springfield, OR $65,320 +8% above national
30 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $65,250 +8% above national
31 Burlington-South Burlington, VT $65,060 +8% above national
32 Syracuse, NY $65,060 +8% above national
33 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $65,050 +8% above national
34 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $65,050 +8% above national
35 Decatur, AL $64,840 +7% above national
36 Tulsa, OK $64,780 +7% above national
37 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $64,740 +7% above national
38 Columbia, SC $64,740 +7% above national
39 Bowling Green, KY $64,620 +7% above national
40 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $64,500 +7% above national
41 Springfield, MA $64,480 +7% above national
42 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $64,410 +7% above national
43 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $64,190 +6% above national
44 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL $64,070 +6% above national
45 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $64,060 +6% above national
46 Urban Honolulu, HI $63,910 +6% above national
47 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $63,790 +6% above national
48 Raleigh-Cary, NC $63,640 +5% above national
49 Worcester, MA $63,480 +5% above national
50 Kennewick-Richland, WA $63,300 +5% above national
51 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $63,050 +4% above national
52 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $62,990 +4% above national
53 Peoria, IL $62,830 +4% above national
54 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $62,820 +4% above national
55 Lynchburg, VA $62,710 +4% above national
56 Omaha, NE-IA $62,700 +4% above national
57 Lincoln, NE $62,640 +4% above national
58 Vallejo, CA $62,470 +3% above national
59 Columbus, OH $62,340 +3% above national
60 Colorado Springs, CO $62,200 +3% above national
61 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $62,100 +3% above national
62 Cleveland, OH $62,080 +3% above national
63 Mobile, AL $62,040 +3% above national
64 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $62,020 +3% above national
65 Boise City, ID $61,870 +2% above national
66 Reading, PA $61,790 +2% above national
67 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $61,760 +2% above national
68 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $61,740 +2% above national
69 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,730 +2% above national
70 Midland, TX $61,690 +2% above national
71 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $61,680 +2% above national
72 Bloomington, IN $61,640 +2% above national
73 Owensboro, KY $61,580 +2% above national
74 Kansas City, MO-KS $61,560 +2% above national
75 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $61,380 +2% above national
76 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $61,230 +1% above national
77 Wilmington, NC $61,200 +1% above national
78 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $60,870 +1% above national
79 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $60,860 +1% above national
80 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $60,830 +1% above national
81 Madison, WI $60,720 +1% above national
82 Odessa, TX $60,580 same as national
83 Corpus Christi, TX $60,530 same as national
84 Youngstown-Warren, OH $60,530 same as national
85 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $60,380 same as national
86 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $60,320 same as national
87 Lawrence, KS $60,230 same as national
88 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $60,030 1% below national
89 Toledo, OH $60,000 1% below national
90 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $59,800 1% below national
91 Tuscaloosa, AL $59,060 2% below national
92 Ogden, UT $58,990 2% below national
93 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $58,580 3% below national
94 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $58,540 3% below national
95 Terre Haute, IN $58,430 3% below national
96 New Haven, CT $58,420 3% below national
97 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $58,140 4% below national
98 Cedar Rapids, IA $58,090 4% below national
99 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $58,070 4% below national
100 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $58,040 4% below national
101 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $58,020 4% below national
102 Reno, NV $57,880 4% below national
103 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $57,880 4% below national
104 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $57,670 5% below national
105 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $57,670 5% below national
106 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $57,610 5% below national
107 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $57,420 5% below national
108 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $57,400 5% below national
109 Jackson, TN $57,390 5% below national
110 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $57,390 5% below national
111 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $57,380 5% below national
112 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $57,270 5% below national
113 Canton-Massillon, OH $57,080 5% below national
114 Rochester, NY $57,020 6% below national
115 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $57,000 6% below national
116 Jackson, MS $56,970 6% below national
117 Oklahoma City, OK $56,880 6% below national
118 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $56,630 6% below national
119 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $56,390 7% below national
120 Modesto, CA $56,250 7% below national
121 Greensboro-High Point, NC $55,800 8% below national
122 Napa, CA $55,750 8% below national
123 Asheville, NC $55,720 8% below national
124 Birmingham, AL $55,680 8% below national
125 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $55,670 8% below national
126 Altoona, PA $55,650 8% below national
127 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $55,620 8% below national
128 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH $55,340 8% below national
129 Lexington-Fayette, KY $55,170 9% below national
130 Spartanburg, SC $55,140 9% below national
131 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $54,960 9% below national
132 Huntsville, AL $54,790 9% below national
133 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $54,750 9% below national
134 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $54,710 9% below national
135 Salinas, CA $54,220 10% below national
136 Waco, TX $53,660 11% below national
137 Dothan, AL $53,610 11% below national
138 Green Bay, WI $53,430 12% below national
139 Salisbury, MD $52,950 12% below national
140 Portland-South Portland, ME $52,780 13% below national
141 Cleveland, TN $52,750 13% below national
142 Charlottesville, VA $52,600 13% below national
143 Clarksville, TN-KY $52,570 13% below national
144 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $52,470 13% below national
145 Stockton-Lodi, CA $52,290 13% below national
146 York-Hanover, PA $52,170 14% below national
147 Montgomery, AL $51,910 14% below national
148 Albuquerque, NM $51,770 14% below national
149 Chattanooga, TN-GA $51,630 15% below national
150 Binghamton, NY $51,530 15% below national
151 Visalia, CA $51,360 15% below national
152 Johnson City, TN $51,340 15% below national
153 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $51,170 15% below national
154 Akron, OH $51,050 15% below national
155 Pittsburgh, PA $51,030 15% below national
156 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $50,840 16% below national
157 Wichita, KS $50,830 16% below national
158 Richmond, VA $50,790 16% below national
159 Fresno, CA $50,610 16% below national
160 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $50,510 16% below national
161 Savannah, GA $50,300 17% below national
162 Knoxville, TN $50,230 17% below national
163 Jacksonville, FL $49,930 17% below national
164 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $49,820 18% below national
165 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $49,810 18% below national
166 Manchester-Nashua, NH $49,700 18% below national
167 Waterbury-Shelton, CT $49,570 18% below national
168 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $49,460 18% below national
169 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $49,390 18% below national
170 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $49,230 18% below national
171 Billings, MT $49,100 19% below national
172 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $49,040 19% below national
173 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $48,770 19% below national
174 Casper, WY $48,500 20% below national
175 Ann Arbor, MI $47,880 21% below national
176 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $47,300 22% below national
177 Gainesville, FL $47,170 22% below national
178 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $46,950 22% below national
179 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $46,410 23% below national
180 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $46,330 23% below national
181 Fort Wayne, IN $46,060 24% below national
182 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS $45,750 24% below national
183 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $45,730 24% below national
184 Columbus, IN $45,360 25% below national
185 Mayaguez, PR $45,000 25% below national
186 Amarillo, TX $44,610 26% below national
187 Hattiesburg, MS $43,730 28% below national
188 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR $43,330 28% below national
189 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $43,080 29% below national
190 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $37,510 38% below national
191 Auburn-Opelika, AL $37,460 38% below national
192 Ponce, PR $36,030 40% below national
193 College Station-Bryan, TX $34,140 43% below national

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($60,390 here) and reported employment (57,540 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Chemical Technicians make?
The median annual salary for Chemical Technicians is $60,390 ($29.03/hour). The salary range spans from $41,740 at the 10th percentile to $92,040 at the 90th percentile.
Where does Chemical Technicians pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $60,390, Chemical Technicians pay is higher than 49% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
What state pays Chemical Technicians the most?
Louisiana pays the highest median salary for Chemical Technicians at $85,850/year, which is +42% above the national median.
What education do Chemical Technicians need?
BLS assigns Chemical Technicians to Associate's degree for typical education needed for entry. Typical on-the-job training assignment: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Chemical Technicians?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Chemical Technicians in this release. WageDex shows the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Chemical Technicians a good career?
Employment for Chemical Technicians is projected to grow 3.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is about as fast as average. About 6,700 openings are projected each year.
How does Chemical Technicians pay vary by state?
Chemical Technicians salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Louisiana at $85,850/year, while Puerto Rico pays the least at $37,510/year. BLS data covers 52 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Chemical Technicians?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Baton Rouge, LA at $92,120/year. BLS reports a median for 193 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

How to use Chemical Technicians pay figures in a real decision

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $75,900/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Louisiana leads at $85,850/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.