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Job outlook for chemical laboratory technicians in the United States
Chemical laboratory technician job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected chemical laboratory technician job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 2,700 new jobs for chemical laboratory technicians are projected over the next decade.
Chemical laboratory technician salaries have increased 9% for chemical laboratory technicians in the last 5 years.
There are over 108,286 chemical laboratory technicians currently employed in the United States.
There are 47,036 active chemical laboratory technician job openings in the US.
The average chemical laboratory technician salary is $41,087.
Are chemical laboratory technician jobs in demand?
Chemical laboratory technician job and salary trends over time
Chemical laboratory technician jobs over time
Chemical laboratory technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 108,286 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 112,589 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 113,441 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 112,053 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 111,985 | 0.03% |
Average chemical laboratory technician salary over time
Chemical laboratory technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $41,087 | $19.75 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | $40,626 | $19.53 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $39,718 | $19.10 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $38,993 | $18.75 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $37,805 | $18.18 | +2.6% |
Chemical laboratory technician jobs by state
Most common states for chemical laboratory technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,375 | 20% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 178 | 20% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 561 | 18% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 238 | 18% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 134 | 18% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 106 | 17% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 110 | 15% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 759 | 14% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 143 | 14% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 766 | 13% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 404 | 13% |
| 12 | Delaware | 961,939 | 121 | 13% |
| 13 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 91 | 13% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 689 | 12% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 350 | 12% |
| 16 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 163 | 12% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 817 | 11% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 620 | 11% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 209 | 11% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 182 | 11% |
Most common cities for chemical laboratory technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southfield | 2 | 3% | $36,570 |
| 2 | Amherst | 1 | 3% | $48,014 |
| 3 | Redford | 1 | 2% | $36,568 |
| 4 | Naperville | 1 | 1% | $43,871 |
| 5 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $40,748 |
Chemical Laboratory Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of chemical laboratory technician experts
Northern Michigan University
North Carolina State University
University of the Pacific
Northern Kentucky University
University of Kentucky
College of Idaho
SUNY at Albany
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Meredith College
Boston College
Point Loma Nazarene University
Kettering University
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
John Richardson: Skills? Well, both hard and soft... Obviously, you will need to have the basic lab and knowledge skills that would be expected of a competent chemistry graduate. Yes, your new employer will spend time training you in the specific skills that pertain to your new job, but basic knowledge and skill sets (e.g., pipetting, calculating dilution factors, having baseline knowledge of common instrumentation) will be expected. As for soft skills, be friendly, cooperative, and curious. Extend these character traits to both your peers and supervisors. Other useful skills that my former students mention would be having some basic knowledge of business and perhaps coding.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Aurora Clark: BS level Chemists can be employed in a variety of roles that leverage their scientific knowledge, laboratory and analytical thinking skills. As technicians in companies or government organizations they may be responsible for sample collection and analysis – for example water quality. They may also work in R&D; in industry as part of larger teams doing development of new materials or devices. On a daily basis this may include testing of different properties of materials under development or helping to design new experimental protocols/procedures to optimize synthesis or characterization. Leveraging their fundamental knowledge of Chemistry they may also work in government within interdisciplinary groups, in science policy, or may pursue science communication.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aurora Clark: Chemistry is often called the Central Science because it intersects Biology, Physics, Math and Materials Science. As such, fundamental Chemistry knowledge is transferable and portable to a large range of public and private sectors. With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) now actively part of the research process, Chemists are also at the intersection of Computer Science. The domain knowledge of Chemists is needed to help the Chemical industry employ AI and ML to create new therapeutics, materials, and to tackle challenges in energy production and environmental protection.
Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA
Assistant Professor / MLS Program DirectorNorthern Michigan University
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, And Treatment Professions
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA: Experience. I have found through my time in the realm that an experienced lab tech is going to be highly sought after and henceforth will have optimal pay opportunities. As the word implies, experience can only be achieved through 'time in the lab' which means you have to put in your time to gather that resume boosting element, experience. Once that happens, then even more doors open up in the profession.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA: The skills that will be required in the lab tech milieu over the next 3-5 years are the same ones that are necessary now, which is what makes the lab tech profession so lucrative. Foundational laboratory skills are a must now and will be must in the future. Once the aspiring lab tech learns and masters the foundational work, such as lab math, pipetting, dilution schemes, titrating, proper glassware use and application, basic spectrophotometry, transformational weights and measures, microscopy, etc. then they'll be readily adaptable for employment in any laboratory setting.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA: I would highly recommend that the newly graduated lab tech does not limit themself to a specific location or a specific vocation. The places to work and the types of jobs available are nearly limitless. If one thinks outside of the box, outside of the mainstream lab tech opportunities, they'll find a whole host of other intriguing possibilities. So, do not limit yourself, the world is your oyster, .......so to speak.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Lucian Lucia: EACH DAY PRESENTS A WHOLE NEW SET OF AMAZING AND DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH WE OFTEN TAKE FOR GRANTED; FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE THE CENTRAL SCIENCE AND THEREFORE PLUG INTO MEDICINE, BIOLOGY, MATERIALS, AND ENGINEERING AMONG A HOST OF DISCIPLINES IN WHICH CHEMISTRY, THE MOLECULAR SCIENCE, PLAYS A KEY ROLE. WE ARE TASKED WITH DEVELOPING OR ANALYZING CHEMICAL PHENOMENA FOR EACH OF THESE DISCIPLINES. GIVEN THAT CHEMISTRY DEALS WITH REACTIONS, MECHANISMS, AND THE MOLECULAR BEHAVIOR OF MATTER, WE TEND TO WORK AT A LAB, PILOT, OR EVEN INDUSTRIAL SCALE TO MONITOR THE EFFICIENCY, QUALITY, AND QUANTITY OF OUR REACTIONS. FOR INSTANCE, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT PINE BARK AS A SOURCE OF VALUABLE ANTI-OXIDANTS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND ARE THEREFORE COLLECTING THEM, GRINDING THEM, AND METICULOUSLY EXTRACTING THE ANTI-OXIDANTS. OUR HOPE IS TO DO THIS AT A LARGE SCALE IN WHICH TONS OF BARK ARE PRE-PROCESSED IN SUCH MANNER BEFORE THEIR NORMAL FATE OF BURNING FOR FUEL OR USE AS GROUND COVER (E.G., MULCH).
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lucian Lucia: BECAUSE IT IS KEY TO SOLVING THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF HUMAN HEALTH, CLEAN WATER AND AIR, ABUNDANT AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND CLEAN ENERGY. EACH OF THESE NEEDS DESPERATELY NEED SOMEONE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE ONLY AVAILABLE TO CHEMISTS. AS CHEMISTS, WE WILL EXPLORE THE MATERIALS, CHEMICALS, AND PROCESSES NEEDED TO ADDRESS EACH OF THE CHALLENGES. WE WILL NOT DO THIS WORK IN A VACUUM, BUT COLLABORATE WITH ENGINEERS, BIOLOGISTS, PHYSICISTS, AND MATERIALS SCIENTISTS. WE MELD WELL IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND POSSESS A DETAILED LOGIC, KNOWLEDGE, AND POISE WHICH MAKE US AN INDISPENSABLE MEMBER OF THE TEAM. THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS CHEMISTS! MOREOVER, WE MUST OVERCOME THE STIGMA IT HAS BORNE FOR MANY YEARS IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ENTICE STUDENTS OF THE HIGHEST TALENT AND INTELLECT BECAUSE IT HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR LIVES.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: Chemistry is a scientific field that it stands by itself, but at the same time it offers the fundamental knowledge to other disciplines such as materials science, polymers, spectroscopy, biochemistry, and agriculture. This interdisciplinary character is pivotal for many technological applications related to medicine, environment, electronics, etc.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: The day-to-day work heavily depends on the actual position. It might include the application of analytical or spectroscopic techniques for quality control, synthesis of molecules or materials, or simply the utilization of computers for the simulation of chemical processes.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: It’s hard to respond to this question, since chemical technology is exciting in any aspect! The chemical elements are the alphabet of a chemist, and the decillion of different combinations between them form an enormous chemical space that needs to be explored for the discovery of new, fascinating molecular structures. Modern AI is actively helping the chemist to navigate the molecular space. Some people (like me!) dislike the laborious chemical synthesis, but for others this is the true beauty of our discipline.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: Chemistry is a great profession to enter now because it is at the forefront of solving many global challenges. From developing new energy sources to creating medical treatments, chemists play a crucial role in advancing science and improving quality of life. Furthermore, the demand for chemists is expected to grow in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, and materials science. The ongoing technological advancements also mean chemists have access to increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques, which can significantly enhance their research capabilities. Moreover, the growing emphasis on sustainability and green chemistry presents numerous opportunities for chemists to positively impact the environment and society.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: A chemist’s day-to-day tasks vary greatly depending on their specific role and field. However, everyday tasks include designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, writing reports, and maintaining safety protocols in the laboratory. Someone entering the field might start as a laboratory assistant or technician, preparing samples, maintaining equipment, and assisting with experiments and research. They could also be involved in data analysis, using various software tools to interpret and visualize experimental results. Furthermore, they may participate in team meetings to discuss their findings and plan future research directions. It’s a dynamic and exciting field with plenty of opportunities for learning and growth.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Joseph Harrison: Chemistry is a good profession to have because it is in demand, since we are in a nanotechnology revolution there are/will be many jobs for chemists. Also, the problem-solving and analytical skills that Chemists use are useful for any industry.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Patrick Hare: Facility with using and interpreting AI results is an obvious growing need. Many of those skills are just applied analytical and critical thinking. The trick will be to do the applying and keep them fresh. Understanding how the systems work will also be useful.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Daniel King: Chemistry is such a broad field that people with a wide range of skill sets have the opportunity to be successful. People who are particularly strong in math often gravitate towards careers associated with physical or analytical chemistry. People who struggle with math but have strong experimental skills can find a career in organic, inorganic or biochemistry. People who do not like laboratory work but like chemistry might find a career as a theoretical or computational chemist. Careers might involve working in an office, working in a laboratory or working outside, depending on the subdiscipline that you choose. In addition, chemistry is likely to be part of the solution to many, if not most, of the world’s biggest problems, such as climate change, health, clean water, agriculture, affordable energy, pollution. Consequently, it is unlikely that the need for chemists will be diminishing anytime soon.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Arthur Cammers: Non-academic chemists, or more broadly, molecular scientists, perform and direct laboratory work to research creative ways to develop, control quality, or improve products in manufacturing, textiles, polymer/ plastics, paints/ coatings, battery, pharmaceutical, toxicology, food, material safety/ compliance to standards or environmental analysis.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Arthur Cammers: I can’t answer this honestly. I imagine that the answer will depend on the person, and the job situation.
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: Try to develop some business skills on product marketing and sales. Try to apply your scientific and engineering skills to business and become an all-around player.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. Analytical skills and communication skills will become more important since they are harder to be replaced by AI. 2. If interested, try to learn some information on AI and machine learning, which will be used more in chemistry in the near future on design and synthesis of new molecules/materials, environmental chemistry, green chemistry, and chemistry education.
What general advice would you give to a Chemical Laboratory Technician?
Bonnie Cantrell: Chemistry is the backbone to most protocols for the material, medical, and biological sciences.
Without chemistry, we would not know many of the things we know today. It will always be relevant in
helping change the scientific world as we know it. The advancements in science technology alone makes
chemistry today more exciting than ever. Just with balances from 1980's to now, we went from only
being able to weigh with counter balance weights to having a digital scale read accurately to 0.001
milligrams. Chemistry used to be more theoretical and only explainable from what we could make react
together. Now we have technology that can visualize the chemical composition and structure allowing
for us to create solutions to problems we could only dream of before. Whether you are wanting danger,
to save lives, or to help make this planet a better place to live, being a chemist can help you fuel your
passions.
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Bonnie Cantrell: When a chemist enters the job field, there is three main options for them: academia,
government, or industry. In academia, there are two types of careers: lecturers and researchers. A
lecturer position usually teaches the introductory level classes and one or two advanced level courses. A
majority of their days revolve around creating course content, setting up teaching laboratories,
mentoring students, and grading. Research professors typically teach the upper level courses in their
research specialty, but overall teach less courses than a lecturer to allow time for research. A majority of
a researcher's days include the same tasks as the lecturer, but they also work on writing grants to
continue to fund their research and edit manuscripts for journal publication of their research. Both
positions are also required to participate on committees that create the structure for the school's future
directions. Faculty entering academia all work towards becoming tenured. Those that have made it,
have job security and more confidence in their jobs.
Entry government positions and most of industry for a chemist would be a lot more directly
involved with laboratory work. The laboratory work you do though is almost always dictated by your
employer. This means you don't get to study what you are interested in, but you can focus more on the
chemistry as you don't have to teach and constantly apply for grants. Usually advancement in these
types of careers changes your day to day into more regulation and management responsibilities and less
hands-on involvement with chemicals.
Alan Chen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Chemistry & the RNA Institute, University at AlbanySUNY at Albany
Chemistry
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: Our most successful students start research no later than sophomore year and many opt for our 5-year combined BS/MS track. These students outcompete BS-level applicants for entry-level jobs, and start at higher salary and responsibility levels as many companies will count time in graduate school as "prior experience". The MS degree is particularly versatile as it can also be earned part-time by current employees looking to advance, and unlike the PhD does not over-qualify you for the vast majority of entry level chemist positions. MS degrees typically enable early-career chemists to move up the ranks into management or team-leader positions after a few years. They are also a possible way for recent grads who were unable to get a job due to lack of research experience in undergrad, to get that crucial research experience during their MS thesis, and possibly even upgrade-in-place to our PhD program if they are doing really well. Basically, there seems to be no drawback to getting an MS in Chemistry at a research-intensive university for the vast majority of scientific career tracks.
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Chemical Laboratory Technician resumes?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: For industry/research positions, employers like to see that candidates have experience/training on certain instruments. HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is a common instrument that I see in a lot of job postings, so experience with that can be especially helpful to a candidate.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemical Laboratory Technicians?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: As I mentioned in question 1, training/experience on various instruments is the most important for industry/research jobs. For teaching positions, experience with different pedagogical/education techniques will be helpful for a potential candidate.
Brian Mendenhall
Associate Director and Career CoachWake Forest University
Office of Personal and Career Development
What skills stand out on Chemical Laboratory Technician resumes?
Brian Mendenhall: Two things that stand out for me, regardless of whether the person is seeking employment in research or industry, are data analysis (Excel, Python, R) and presentation skills. Research specific skills would also include experimental design and specific relevant laboratory techniques & equipment experience.
What soft skills should all Chemical Laboratory Technicians possess?
Brian Mendenhall: In the past, the most important attributes have been leadership and problem-solving skills. If the pandemic has taught us anything, the most important attribute is the ability to work with others and get along in multiple virtual and in-person environments. The rest seem elementary and are all dependent on each other. To work well on a team, you need to problem-solve, both on the topic and on how to share information. To solve problems, you need to be analytical and quantitative. Certainly, to do this well, you need to communicate across diverse audiences and levels of understanding. The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys employers on these priorities and updates the results frequently. (see below for your reference)
Ability to work in a team 81.0%
Problem-solving skills 79.0%
Analytical/quantitative skills 76.1%
Communication skills (verbal) 73.2%
Communication skills (written)
https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-key-attributes-employers-seek-on-college-graduates-resumes/
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.
Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair in Biological Chemistry, Associate Chair of ChemistryUniversity of Utah
Department Of Chemistry
What skills stand out on Chemical Laboratory Technician resumes?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The skills that stand out are research experience, characterization instrumentation experience, and more recently, data science experience and coding experience, as machine learning and AI become more and more important in chemistry.
What soft skills should all Chemical Laboratory Technicians possess?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important soft skills are communication and people management skills. It is critical to be strong in both oral and written communication.
Alexandra (Sasha) Ormond Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Director of Dual Degree EngineeringMeredith College
Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Geoscience
What will help Chemical Laboratory Technicians increase their earning potential?
Alexandra (Sasha) Ormond Ph.D.: Using automation and AI are becoming more important to do more with less people and less time. Working in interdisciplinary teams where you are the only expert in your field, and you will need to communicate to others who may not understand the content on the same level as you.
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.
Margaret A & Thomas A Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of Chemistry DepartmentBoston College
Chemistry Department
What soft skills should all Chemical Laboratory Technicians possess?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Problem-solving skills. When presented with a problem, knowing where to go to find information to solve it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemical Laboratory Technicians?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Chemistry is a diverse field. As a foundational discipline, it enables several sub-fields and supports emerging new fields. As one example, our graduates become experts in medical research, health care, and scientists and engineers in many other fields. Depending on the different career goals, what is important can be drastically different. Generally speaking, doing bench work (either in the lab or on a computer) should be a good skill to have at graduation.
What technical skills for a Chemical Laboratory Technician stand out to employers?
Dr. Matthieu Rouffet Ph.D.: Our PLNU graduates have a lot of hands-on experience (most courses have a lab component, and many of our students do summer research with a faculty member for two summers allowing them to spend over 800 hours in a lab), so employers regularly comment on the fact that they are ready to go from day one.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Chemical Laboratory Technician job market given the pandemic?
Daniel Ludwigsen: In responding to this and other questions, I'm considering the perspective of graduates from my programs, with a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics or Applied Physics. Most of our grads are looking at full-time positions in engineering, particularly R&D and product development, or consulting/project engineering directly with their employers' customers. In sectors that are in demand, these positions are seeing an accelerated shift in the ways of working-just like we see in most professions. Working at least a portion of the week at home, less travel, more video conferencing, all force employees to sharpen their essential skills in communication, project management, and basically, working with diverse teams.
What Chemical Laboratory Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Daniel Ludwigsen: Graduates from our programs often find that graduate degrees, masters, or even doctorates, fit into their career trajectories well. If I were advising a graduating senior considering a gap year, I would suggest a certificate program in a relevant field, such as programming, data science, or similar areas. While these incorporate broadly applicable skills as well as valuable disciplinary perspective, these certificate programs often offer credit that can later be applied toward a graduate degree.