Chemical Technician Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of chemical technicians to grow 4.9% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,000 more jobs), with about 7,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $60,390 a year ranks 423rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.9%
- Openings a year
- 7,600
- Median pay
- $60,390
- Pay rank
- 423rd of 825
Is employment of chemical technicians growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of chemical technicians to rise 4.9% (about 3,000 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 245th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 60,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 63,000 |
| Projected change | +4.9% |
| Openings a year | 7,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 60,000 jobs here differ from the 57,540 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 7,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 314th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 300 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for chemical technicians rank?
The median of $60,390 a year ranks 423rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: associate's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemists | +6.4% | 5,900 | $91,240 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | +4.4% | 11,200 | $62,280 |
| Food Science Technicians | +4.8% | 3,000 | $52,130 |
| Agricultural Technicians | +5.4% | 2,800 | $49,630 |
| Materials Scientists | +8.3% | 600 | $117,790 |
| Biological Technicians | +7.4% | 9,400 | $57,510 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | +6.9% | 5,300 | $55,090 |
| Calibration Technologists and Technicians | +4.8% | 1,500 | $67,820 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.