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Chemist/laboratory technician salary
Average chemist/laboratory technician salary
$51,400
Average Chemist/Laboratory Technician Salary
The salary for a Chemist/Laboratory Technician typically stands at around $51,400 per year. This figure represents a general overview and can be influenced by various factors, including geographic location and years of experience. For instance, entry-level positions may offer lower salaries, while those with extensive experience or specialized skills in a specific field can command significantly higher wages.
Factors Affecting Salary
Location plays a crucial role in salary variations. States with a high demand for chemists, such as California and Texas, often provide higher salaries compared to states with less demand. Additionally, specialized sectors, such as pharmaceuticals and environmental science, can offer better compensation.
Salary by Experience Level
- Entry-level: $40,000 - $45,000
- Mid-career: $50,000 - $60,000
- Experienced: $65,000+
Exploring job postings, networking, and continuous learning can enhance salary potential. By understanding the factors that influence earnings, chemists and laboratory technicians can strategically navigate their careers toward better opportunities.
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Where can a Chemist/Laboratory Technician earn more?
Chemist/laboratory technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level chemist/laboratory technician | $40,300 | $19.37 |
| Mid-level chemist/laboratory technician | $48,500 | $23.33 |
| Senior-level chemist/laboratory technician | $55,200 | $26.55 |
Average chemist/laboratory technician salary by state
The average chemist/laboratory technician salary in Maryland, Kentucky, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chemist/laboratory technician salary states are Tennessee, Florida, and Maine.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chemist/laboratory technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $77,288 | $37.16 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $61,800 | $29.71 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $61,851 | $29.74 |
| 4 | New York | $58,220 | $27.99 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,383 | $29.51 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $59,917 | $28.81 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $55,424 | $26.65 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $54,073 | $26.00 |
| 9 | Texas | $62,948 | $30.26 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $51,855 | $24.93 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $68,182 | $32.78 |
| 12 | Delaware | $64,496 | $31.01 |
| 13 | Nevada | $56,583 | $27.20 |
| 14 | Iowa | $47,809 | $22.99 |
| 15 | Ohio | $51,094 | $24.56 |
| 16 | Arizona | $49,452 | $23.77 |
| 17 | California | $52,779 | $25.37 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $51,742 | $24.88 |
| 19 | Virginia | $56,249 | $27.04 |
| 20 | Colorado | $51,620 | $24.82 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $49,575 | $23.83 |
| 22 | Vermont | $48,290 | $23.22 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $45,753 | $22.00 |
| 24 | Indiana | $47,701 | $22.93 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $47,495 | $22.83 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $44,160 | $21.23 |
| 27 | Illinois | $49,350 | $23.73 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $48,849 | $23.49 |
| 29 | Utah | $46,131 | $22.18 |
| 30 | Alaska | $43,008 | $20.68 |
| 31 | Kansas | $46,937 | $22.57 |
| 32 | Alabama | $46,723 | $22.46 |
| 33 | Missouri | $46,845 | $22.52 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $47,405 | $22.79 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $47,061 | $22.63 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $45,242 | $21.75 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $47,970 | $23.06 |
| 38 | Florida | $42,209 | $20.29 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $50,229 | $24.15 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $45,286 | $21.77 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $46,451 | $22.33 |
| 42 | Washington | $43,793 | $21.05 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,903 | $20.15 |
| 44 | Montana | $41,840 | $20.12 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $42,304 | $20.34 |
| 46 | Idaho | $43,901 | $21.11 |
| 47 | Michigan | $43,879 | $21.10 |
| 48 | Oregon | $42,766 | $20.56 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $36,627 | $17.61 |
| 50 | Georgia | $42,509 | $20.44 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,830 | $19.63 |
Highest paying cities for chemist/laboratory technicians
The highest-paying cities for chemist/laboratory technicians are Baltimore, MD, Hopkinsville, KY, and Newark, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | $77,517 | $37.27 |
| 2 | Hopkinsville, KY | $66,635 | $32.04 |
| 3 | Newark, DE | $64,370 | $30.95 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $63,565 | $30.56 |
| 5 | Fort Smith, AR | $61,588 | $29.61 |
| 6 | Wallingford, CT | $61,255 | $29.45 |
| 7 | Marlborough, MA | $55,582 | $26.72 |
| 8 | Wilson, NC | $51,269 | $24.65 |
| 9 | Carlsbad, CA | $50,871 | $24.46 |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH | $50,363 | $24.21 |
| 11 | Harvey, IL | $49,540 | $23.82 |
| 12 | Columbia, SC | $48,952 | $23.53 |
| 13 | Milwaukee, WI | $46,056 | $22.14 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $45,978 | $22.10 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | $42,282 | $20.33 |
| 16 | Oklahoma City, OK | $40,851 | $19.64 |
Chemist/laboratory technician salary details
A chemist/laboratory technician's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chemist/laboratory technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $51,400 | $4,283 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
Highest paying chemist/laboratory technician jobs
The highest paying types of chemist/laboratory technicians are senior chemist, research chemist, and chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Quality Control | $32,824 | $2,735 | $15.78 | 83,496 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Analytical Chemist | $61,573 | $5,131 | $29.60 | 14,661 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
Top companies hiring chemist/laboratory technicians now:
Which companies pay chemist/laboratory technicians the most?
Chemist/laboratory technician salaries at Sun Chemical and Momentive are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chemist/laboratory technician salary at companies like Covance and Monster Products are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Chemical | $79,603 | $38.27 |
| 2 | Momentive | $71,978 | $34.60 |
| 3 | Covance | $55,937 | $26.89 |
| 4 | Monster Products | $55,408 | $26.64 |
| 5 | Schlumberger | $52,652 | $25.31 |
| 6 | EFI Global | $51,097 | $24.57 |
| 7 | Thatcher | $49,224 | $23.67 |
| 8 | Goodwin Recruiting | $49,123 | $23.62 |
| 9 | Deibel Laboratories | $48,842 | $23.48 |
| 10 | TRADEBE TRANSPORTATION | $48,618 | $23.37 |
| 11 | PacBio | $48,379 | $23.26 |
| 12 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $48,287 | $23.21 |
| 13 | Eurofins | $47,861 | $23.01 |
| 14 | Ingevity | $44,233 | $21.27 |
| 15 | Kelly Services | $43,230 | $20.78 |
| 16 | Murray State University | $43,165 | $20.75 |
| 17 | Aerotek | $41,249 | $19.83 |
| 18 | Peterson Companies | $40,884 | $19.66 |
| 19 | Allied Universal | $40,805 | $19.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chemist/Laboratory Technician salary by industry
The average chemist/laboratory technician salary varies across industries:
- The average chemist/laboratory technician salary in the manufacturing industry is $55,497, the highest of any industry.
- The average chemist/laboratory technician salary in the finance industry is $53,820.
- Chemist/laboratory technicians in the internet industry earn an average salary of $48,494, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chemist/laboratory technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $55,497 | $26.68 |
| 2 | Technology | $53,820 | $25.88 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $51,358 | $24.69 |
| 4 | Energy | $49,741 | $23.91 |
| 5 | Education | $48,899 | $23.51 |
| 6 | Internet | $48,494 | $23.31 |
High paying chemist/laboratory technician jobs
Chemist/laboratory technician salary trends
The average chemist/laboratory technician salary has risen by $7,996 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chemist/laboratory technician earned $43,404 annually, but today, they earn $51,400 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for chemist/laboratory technicians over the last decade.
Compare chemist/laboratory technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chemist/laboratory technician salary over time
Compare chemist/laboratory technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chemist/laboratory technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,400 | $24.71 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $50,800 | $24.43 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $49,700 | $23.89 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $48,800 | $23.45 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $47,300 | $22.74 | +2.6% |
Recently added chemist/laboratory technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Lab Chemist Tech | Madison Heights, MI | 06/26/2025 | $56,349 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Lab Chemist Technician | Stamford, CT | 06/10/2025 | $50,088 |
| Methode Electronics, Inc. | Plating Lab Chemist/Technician (Aerospace & Automotive) | Rolling Meadows, IL | 05/28/2025 | $47,479 |
| Actalent | Surface Technology Chemist | Plymouth, MI | 05/28/2025 | $52,175 |
| Actalent | Chemist Technician | Allentown, PA | 04/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Lab Chemist Technician | Stamford, CT | 04/05/2025 | $50,088 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Chemist/Aerosol Lab Technician | Darien, CT | 03/27/2025 | $62,610 |
| Dunn-Edwards Corporation | MKT Technical Support LAB, Chemist I or II CA | Commerce, CA | 03/22/2025 | $67,000 |
| Optima Chemical | Laboratory Technician/Chemist | Douglas, GA | 03/07/2025 | $41,740 |
| Cardinal Health | Material Science and Technology Transfer Chemist | Beltsville, MD | 03/05/2025 | $75,600 |
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