How to hire a chemistry laboratory technician

How to hire a chemistry laboratory technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chemistry laboratory technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a chemistry laboratory technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new chemistry laboratory technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a chemistry laboratory technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the chemistry laboratory technician you need to hire. Certain chemistry laboratory technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A chemistry laboratory technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, chemistry laboratory technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of chemistry laboratory technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Chemical technicians use special instruments and techniques to help chemists and chemical engineers research, develop, produce, and test chemical products and processes.	$15-23
   Microbiologist	Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases... Show more	$18-36
   Quality Control Chemist	A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.	$21-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lab Equipment
   • Test Results
   • Laboratory Tests
   • Chemistry Laboratory
   • Safety Procedures
   • HPLC
   • GMP
   • Proficiency Testing
   • FDA
   • Analytical Chemistry
   • Wet Chemistry
   • PH Meter
   • Data Entry
   • FTIR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate in audits by FDA and ISO.
   • Assist in preparing and storing laboratory experiments.-Guide students through laboratory procedure.-collect student data for HPLC, GC/MS, and NMR samples.
   • Skil in characterization of compounds using 1HNMR , 13CNMR, IR, GC, UV-Vis spec.
   • Train mill trainees on ISO procedures.
   • Inventory lab chemicals and MSDS sheets.
   • Maintain and repair FTIR and UV-Vis spectrophotometers.

   More chemistry laboratory technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the chemistry laboratory technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. A chemistry laboratory technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a chemistry laboratory technician in Tennessee may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level chemistry laboratory technician. Additionally, a chemistry laboratory technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average chemistry laboratory technician salary

   $40,072yearly

   $19.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chemistry laboratory technician salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average chemistry laboratory technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Colorado	$45,863	$22
   2	Massachusetts	$45,603	$22
   3	Texas	$44,648	$21
   4	Minnesota	$43,242	$21
   5	Illinois	$42,818	$21
   6	California	$40,813	$20
   7	Pennsylvania	$39,600	$19
   8	Arizona	$39,444	$19
   9	Ohio	$39,435	$19
   10	New York	$37,826	$18
   11	Oregon	$37,723	$18
   12	Nebraska	$37,524	$18
   13	North Carolina	$37,241	$18
   14	Louisiana	$36,733	$18
   15	Michigan	$36,521	$18
   16	Alabama	$36,288	$17
   17	Tennessee	$32,791	$16
   18	Indiana	$32,380	$16

   Average chemistry laboratory technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Zoetis	$53,895	$25.91	16
   2	AbbVie	$49,320	$23.71	17
   3	Sun Chemical	$45,588	$21.92
   4	Halliburton	$44,393	$21.34	4
   5	DuPont	$44,352	$21.32
   6	Vicor	$44,196	$21.25	1
   7	Parkland Hospital	$43,664	$20.99	6
   8	ATI Physical Therapy	$42,619	$20.49	2
   9	Haynes International	$42,260	$20.32
   10	Mount Sinai Health System	$41,436	$19.92	19
   11	Eisenhower Medical Center	$41,356	$19.88
   12	Leprino Foods	$40,933	$19.68
   13	Physician Affiliate Group of New York	$40,599	$19.52	1
   14	Axiom Space	$40,373	$19.41
   15	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$40,044	$19.25	17
   16	Hospital for Special Surgery	$39,969	$19.22	4
   17	EMSL Analytical	$39,912	$19.19
   18	Grand Canyon University	$39,532	$19.01	2
   19	Certified Laboratories	$39,412	$18.95	74
   20	Suncoast Post-Tension	$39,311	$18.90

4. Writing a chemistry laboratory technician job description

   A chemistry laboratory technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a chemistry laboratory technician job description:

   Chemistry laboratory technician job description example

   Medpace Overview

   Medpace is a full-service clinical contract research organization (CRO). We provide Phase I-IV clinical development services to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Our mission is to accelerate the global development of safe and effective medical therapeutics through its scientific and disciplined approach. We leverage local regulatory and therapeutic expertise across all major areas including oncology, cardiology, metabolic disease, endocrinology, central nervous system, anti-viral and anti-infective. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, employing more than 5,000 people across 40+ countries.

   Why Medpace?

   When you join Medpace, you become part of a team dedicated to supporting the development of ground-breaking drugs and devices. Our employees provide hope for those living with debilitating diseases. We invite you to be a part of something that is impacting millions of people around the globe while enjoying a competitive total compensation and benefits package and internal growth opportunities.

   Organic Growth: Medpace is continuing to grow in all areas globally and has built an expansive research campus at its headquarters in Cincinnati, OH. In 2020, Medpace opened a new seven story building that is approximately 250,000 SQFT. In total, the headquarter's campus includes five buildings and approximately 600,000 SQFT. The company also has expanding office locations in Dallas, TX and Denver, CO.

   Perks ( vary by location and position ):

   • On-site fitness center(s)
   • Campus walking paths
   • Company-sponsored social and wellness events
   • Official Sponsor of FC Cincinnati
   • On-site Market Place
   • Free and covered parking
   • Discounts for local businesses
   • On campus restaurants and banks coming soon

   Awards:

   • Medpace historically named a Top Cincinnati Workplace by the Cincinnati Enquirer
   • Recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Mid-size Companies in 2021
   • Medpace ranks amongst top CROs for site ratings across all 10 important attributes including CRA training, preparation & organization, accessibility of staff, open communication, and ensuring timely drug availability
   • Continually recognized with CRO Leadership Awards from Life Science Leader magazine based on expertise, quality, capabilities, reliability, and compatibility
   • Ranked in the top 10 on the 2021 LinkedIn Top Companies list in Cincinnati

   What to Expect Next:

   A member of our recruitment team will review your qualifications and, if interested, you will be contacted for an interview.

   EO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vets

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find chemistry laboratory technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your chemistry laboratory technician job on Zippia to find and recruit chemistry laboratory technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit chemistry laboratory technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new chemistry laboratory technician

   Once you've selected the best chemistry laboratory technician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new chemistry laboratory technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a chemistry laboratory technician?