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Best states for a chemist/laboratory technician
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for chemist/laboratory technicians? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for chemist/laboratory technician jobs.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for chemist/laboratory technician jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for chemist/laboratory technicians. Maryland is the best state for chemist/laboratory technicians, where the median salary is $77,288.We found that Maryland is the best state for chemist/laboratory technician jobs, whereas Oklahoma is the worst.
10 best states for chemist/laboratory technicians in 2026
1. Maryland
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 708 Average annual salary: $77,288 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
2. Arkansas
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 285 Average annual salary: $61,800 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
3. New Mexico
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $61,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. New York
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 1,643 Average annual salary: $58,220 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Connecticut
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 352 Average annual salary: $61,383 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1
6. West Virginia
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $59,917 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
7. Massachusetts
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 1,331 Average annual salary: $55,424 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
8. Pennsylvania
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 1,327 Average annual salary: $54,073 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
9. Texas
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 1,829 Average annual salary: $62,948 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
10. New Hampshire
Total chemist/laboratory technician jobs: 240 Average annual salary: $51,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
Chemist/laboratory technician jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chemist/laboratory technician
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chemist/laboratory technician
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $77,288 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 708 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $61,800 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 285 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $61,851 | $42,000 | 2,088,070 | 193 |
| 4 | New York | $58,220 | $40,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,643 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,383 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 352 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $59,917 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 149 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $55,424 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,331 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $54,073 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,327 |
| 9 | Texas | $62,948 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,829 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $51,855 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 240 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $68,182 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 295 |
| 12 | Delaware | $64,496 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 107 |
| 13 | Nevada | $56,583 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 193 |
| 14 | Iowa | $47,809 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 526 |
| 15 | Ohio | $51,094 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 948 |
| 16 | Arizona | $49,452 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 676 |
| 17 | California | $52,779 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,940 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $51,742 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 977 |
| 19 | Virginia | $56,249 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 739 |
| 20 | Colorado | $51,620 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 594 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $49,575 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 885 |
| 22 | Vermont | $48,290 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 100 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $45,753 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 681 |
| 24 | Indiana | $47,701 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 613 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $47,495 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 727 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $44,160 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 171 |
| 27 | Illinois | $49,350 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,078 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $48,849 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 389 |
| 29 | Utah | $46,131 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 365 |
| 30 | Alaska | $43,008 | $36,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 31 | Kansas | $46,937 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 266 |
| 32 | Alabama | $46,723 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 395 |
| 33 | Missouri | $46,845 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 523 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $47,405 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 277 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $47,061 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 146 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $45,242 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 55 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $47,970 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 80 |
| 38 | Florida | $42,209 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,872 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $50,229 | $34,000 | 693,972 | 92 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $45,286 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 199 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $46,451 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 85 |
| 42 | Washington | $43,793 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 809 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,903 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 144 |
| 44 | Montana | $41,840 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 130 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $42,304 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 556 |
| 46 | Idaho | $43,901 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 149 |
| 47 | Michigan | $43,879 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 672 |
| 48 | Oregon | $42,766 | $29,000 | 4,142,776 | 416 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $36,627 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 109 |
| 50 | Georgia | $42,509 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 884 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,830 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 232 |
Highest paying states for chemist/laboratory technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. Chemist/Laboratory Technician Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $77,288 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $61,800 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $61,851 |
| 4 | New York | $58,220 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,383 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $59,917 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $55,424 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $54,073 |
| 9 | Texas | $62,948 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $51,855 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $68,182 |
| 12 | Delaware | $64,496 |
| 13 | Nevada | $56,583 |
| 14 | Iowa | $47,809 |
| 15 | Ohio | $51,094 |
| 16 | Arizona | $49,452 |
| 17 | California | $52,779 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $51,742 |
| 19 | Virginia | $56,249 |
| 20 | Colorado | $51,620 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $49,575 |
| 22 | Vermont | $48,290 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $45,753 |
| 24 | Indiana | $47,701 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $47,495 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $44,160 |
| 27 | Illinois | $49,350 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $48,849 |
| 29 | Utah | $46,131 |
| 30 | Alaska | $43,008 |
| 31 | Kansas | $46,937 |
| 32 | Alabama | $46,723 |
| 33 | Missouri | $46,845 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $47,405 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $47,061 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $45,242 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $47,970 |
| 38 | Florida | $42,209 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $50,229 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $45,286 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $46,451 |
| 42 | Washington | $43,793 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,903 |
| 44 | Montana | $41,840 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $42,304 |
| 46 | Idaho | $43,901 |
| 47 | Michigan | $43,879 |
| 48 | Oregon | $42,766 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $36,627 |
| 50 | Georgia | $42,509 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,830 |
Expert opinions on the best states for chemist/laboratory technicians
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chemist/laboratory technicians to find work opportunities?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry, University of South Florida
One of the great things about chemistry is that there are so many areas for our graduates to work, whether in health care, quality control, energy, defense, or elsewhere. Each of these areas is well represented geographically, with specific concentrations for each. Much of the energy research is based in Texas and Oklahoma. Defense research is often proximal to bases. Healthcare research has hubs in the northeast (primarily Boston) and west coast (mainly the Bay area). Quality control is often wherever manufacturing is taking place. We're fortunate that many of these opportunities are present in the Tampa area, with solar energy, MacDill, biotech companies, and manufacturers like Yuengling and Coca Cola, nearby.
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Updated January 8, 2025