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Chemical laboratory technician salary
Average chemical laboratory technician salary
$41,087
Understanding the Salary of Chemical Laboratory Technicians
The average salary for a Chemical Laboratory Technician in the United States is approximately $41,087 per year, equating to about $20 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry in which one works.
For instance, technicians with more experience tend to earn higher wages. Entry-level positions may start below the average, but seasoned professionals can see salaries increase considerably as they progress in their careers.
States with higher demand for chemical laboratory technicians often offer better compensation. For example, states like California and Texas are known for higher average salaries, while also providing diverse job opportunities across various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, environmental testing, and food safety.
Additionally, the highest paying cities for this profession typically include metropolitan areas where the cost of living is also higher. This reflects the correlation between salary and local economic conditions. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective technicians make informed decisions about their career paths and salary expectations.
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Where can a Chemical Laboratory Technician earn more?
Chemical laboratory technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level chemical laboratory technician | $32,200 | $15.48 |
| Mid-level chemical laboratory technician | $38,800 | $18.65 |
| Senior-level chemical laboratory technician | $44,100 | $21.23 |
Average chemical laboratory technician salary by state
The average chemical laboratory technician salary in Maryland, Kentucky, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chemical laboratory technician salary states are Tennessee, Georgia, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chemical laboratory technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $57,830 | $27.80 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $47,149 | $22.67 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $50,127 | $24.10 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $47,883 | $23.02 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $53,813 | $25.87 |
| 6 | Vermont | $46,221 | $22.22 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $46,328 | $22.27 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $48,674 | $23.40 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $50,714 | $24.38 |
| 10 | Delaware | $48,450 | $23.29 |
| 11 | Colorado | $47,156 | $22.67 |
| 12 | Alaska | $43,077 | $20.71 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $45,794 | $22.02 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $44,308 | $21.30 |
| 15 | Nevada | $45,763 | $22.00 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $48,491 | $23.31 |
| 17 | Iowa | $40,015 | $19.24 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $38,985 | $18.74 |
| 19 | Maine | $40,734 | $19.58 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $41,214 | $19.81 |
| 21 | Illinois | $43,865 | $21.09 |
| 22 | Ohio | $41,361 | $19.89 |
| 23 | Texas | $43,534 | $20.93 |
| 24 | Kansas | $39,242 | $18.87 |
| 25 | Arizona | $40,387 | $19.42 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $40,730 | $19.58 |
| 27 | Idaho | $40,011 | $19.24 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $38,465 | $18.49 |
| 29 | Washington | $40,498 | $19.47 |
| 30 | California | $40,143 | $19.30 |
| 31 | New York | $39,533 | $19.01 |
| 32 | Montana | $38,668 | $18.59 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $42,180 | $20.28 |
| 34 | Virginia | $41,484 | $19.94 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $38,072 | $18.30 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $38,666 | $18.59 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $38,106 | $18.32 |
| 38 | Missouri | $38,472 | $18.50 |
| 39 | Alabama | $37,280 | $17.92 |
| 40 | Michigan | $36,503 | $17.55 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $37,780 | $18.16 |
| 42 | Utah | $32,717 | $15.73 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $33,410 | $16.06 |
| 44 | Oregon | $38,570 | $18.54 |
| 45 | Indiana | $33,032 | $15.88 |
| 46 | Florida | $33,872 | $16.28 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $33,686 | $16.20 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $35,952 | $17.28 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | $37,488 | $18.02 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $33,498 | $16.10 |
| 51 | Georgia | $33,540 | $16.13 |
Highest paying cities for chemical laboratory technicians
The highest-paying cities for chemical laboratory technicians are Albuquerque, NM, Little Rock, AR, and Minneapolis, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque, NM | $50,586 | $24.32 |
| 2 | Little Rock, AR | $49,962 | $24.02 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $44,314 | $21.30 |
| 4 | Pasadena, TX | $44,031 | $21.17 |
| 5 | North Chicago, IL | $44,021 | $21.16 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $41,799 | $20.10 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | $41,382 | $19.90 |
| 8 | San Jose, CA | $40,851 | $19.64 |
| 9 | Mesa, AZ | $40,357 | $19.40 |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $40,204 | $19.33 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $38,740 | $18.63 |
| 12 | Albany, NY | $38,682 | $18.60 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $38,550 | $18.53 |
| 14 | Hillsboro, OR | $38,539 | $18.53 |
| 15 | Oak Creek, WI | $38,490 | $18.50 |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | $38,208 | $18.37 |
| 17 | Hilton Head Island, SC | $38,060 | $18.30 |
| 18 | Wyandotte, MI | $36,592 | $17.59 |
| 19 | Durham, NC | $36,212 | $17.41 |
| 20 | Mount Juliet, TN | $33,824 | $16.26 |
Chemical laboratory technician salary details
A chemical laboratory technician's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chemical laboratory technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| Average | $41,087 | $3,424 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying chemical laboratory technician jobs
The highest paying types of chemical laboratory technicians are research chemist, research and development assistant, and assistant research scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
Top companies hiring chemical laboratory technicians now:
Which companies pay chemical laboratory technicians the most?
Chemical laboratory technician salaries at Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Clean Harbors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chemical laboratory technician salary at companies like BD and Praxair are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basin Electric Power Cooperative | $52,756 | $25.36 |
| 2 | Clean Harbors | $48,124 | $23.14 |
| 3 | BD | $47,319 | $22.75 |
| 4 | Praxair | $45,044 | $21.66 |
| 5 | Integrated DNA Technologies | $43,378 | $20.85 |
| 6 | Kaiser Aluminum | $43,236 | $20.79 |
| 7 | Oxford Solutions | $42,876 | $20.61 |
| 8 | Belcan | $42,820 | $20.59 |
| 9 | Sanmina | $42,749 | $20.55 |
| 10 | Danaher | $42,258 | $20.32 |
| 11 | University of Nebraska Medical Center | $42,003 | $20.19 |
| 12 | Hired | $41,908 | $20.15 |
| 13 | NewMarket | $41,835 | $20.11 |
| 14 | Triumph Group | $41,675 | $20.04 |
| 15 | TTI Maumee Equipment | $41,673 | $20.04 |
| 16 | RGBSI | $41,454 | $19.93 |
| 17 | Eclaro | $41,272 | $19.84 |
| 18 | Primera | $41,232 | $19.82 |
| 19 | HRU Technical Resources | $41,113 | $19.77 |
| 20 | Eurofins | $40,252 | $19.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chemical Laboratory Technician salary by industry
The average chemical laboratory technician salary varies across industries:
- The average chemical laboratory technician salary in the technology industry is $44,185, the highest of any industry.
- The average chemical laboratory technician salary in the finance industry is $42,979.
- Chemical laboratory technicians in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $39,930, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chemical laboratory technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $44,185 | $21.24 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $42,979 | $20.66 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $41,422 | $19.91 |
| 4 | Transportation | $39,930 | $19.20 |
High paying chemical laboratory technician jobs
Chemical laboratory technician salary trends
The average chemical laboratory technician salary has risen by $6,391 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chemical laboratory technician earned $34,696 annually, but today, they earn $41,087 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for chemical laboratory technicians over the last decade.
Compare chemical laboratory technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chemical laboratory technician salary over time
Compare chemical laboratory technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chemical laboratory technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,100 | $19.75 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $40,600 | $19.53 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $39,700 | $19.10 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $39,000 | $18.75 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $37,800 | $18.18 | +2.6% |
Recently added chemical laboratory technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ttm Technologies | Chemical Lab Technician 1St. Shift | San Jose, CA | 06/29/2025 | $42,721 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Chemical Laboratory Technologist II | Omaha, NE | 06/26/2025 | $48,200 |
| TTM Technologies, Inc. | Chemical Lab Technician 1St. Shift | San Jose, CA | 06/26/2025 | $42,721 |
| Quad | Night Shift Chemical Lab Technician | Hartford, WI | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Manpowergroup | Chemical Lab Technician Junior | Odessa, TX | 06/12/2025 | $35,479 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Lab Chemical Technician | Pittsburg, CA | 06/10/2025 | $56,349 |
| Hirelevel | Chemical Lab Technician | Marion, IL | 06/09/2025 | $33,392 |
| TTM Technologies, Inc. | Chemical Laboratory Technician-2Nd Shift | Santa Ana, CA | 05/29/2025 | $37,469 |
| TSMC (DBA | Chemical Lab Technician | Washington, MA | 05/28/2025 | $57,706 |
| Ttm Technologies | Chemical Laboratory Technician-2Nd Shift | Santa Ana, CA | 05/25/2025 | $37,469 |
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