Chemical technicians held about 60,400 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of chemical technicians were as follows:
| Testing laboratories | 16% |
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | 10 |
| Wholesale trade | 4 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 3 |
Chemical technicians often work in laboratories or in manufacturing facilities. Chemical manufacturing plants make a variety of products, such as fertilizers, medicines, and soaps.
Injuries and Illnesses
Chemical technicians may be exposed to health or safety hazards when handling certain chemicals and manufacturing equipment, but there is little risk if proper procedures are followed.
Work Schedules
Most technicians work full time. Occasionally, they may have to work additional hours to meet project deadlines or troubleshoot problems with manufacturing processes. Some work irregular schedules to monitor laboratory experiments or manufacturing operations.
To enter the occupation, chemical technicians typically need an associate’s degree or 2 years of postsecondary education. Some positions require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree; others require a high school diploma. Most chemical technicians receive on-the-job training.
Education
Chemical technicians typically need an associate's degree or 2 years of postsecondary education in applied science or chemical technology. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor's degree in those or related fields, such as biology or physical science. Other employers may consider candidates who have a high school diploma.
Technical and community college programs in applied sciences or chemical technology typically include courses in math, physics, and biology in addition to chemistry. Coursework in statistics and computer science is also useful for learning data analysis and modeling.
Courses that include a laboratory component provide students with hands-on practice in conducting experiments and proper use of instruments and techniques. Participating in internships and cooperative-education programs while attending school helps students gain experience.
Training
Chemical technicians typically receive on-the-job training from experienced technicians, who explain proper methods and procedures for conducting experiments and operating equipment. The length of training varies with the new employee’s level of experience and education and by industry.
Advancement
Technicians who have a bachelor’s degree may advance to become chemical engineers or chemists.
Chemical technicians typically have an interest in the Building, Thinking and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Thinking interest area indicates a focus on researching, investigating, and increasing the understanding of natural laws. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Thinking or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a chemical technician, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Chemical technicians should also possess the following specific qualities:
Ability to use technology. Chemical technicians must be able to set up and operate sophisticated equipment and instruments. They also may need to adjust the equipment to ensure that experiments and processes are running properly and safely.
Analytical skills. Chemical technicians must be able to conduct scientific experiments with accuracy and precision.
Communication skills. Chemical technicians must explain their work to scientists, engineers, and to workers who may not have a technical background. They often write reports to communicate their results.
Critical-thinking skills. Chemical technicians reach their conclusions through sound reasoning and judgment.
Interpersonal skills. Chemical technicians must be able to work well with others as part of a team, because they often work with scientists, engineers, and other technicians.
Observation skills. Chemical technicians must carefully monitor chemical experiments and processes. They must keep complete records of their work, including conditions, procedures, and results.
Time-management skills. Chemical technicians often work on multiple tasks and projects at the same time and must be able to prioritize their assignments.
The median annual wage for chemical technicians was $48,990 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,980, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $80,570.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for chemical technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | $49,050 |
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | 48,670 |
| Wholesale trade | 47,860 |
| Testing laboratories | 39,410 |
Most technicians work full time. Occasionally, they may have to work additional hours to meet project deadlines or troubleshoot problems with manufacturing processes. Some work irregular schedules to monitor laboratory experiments or manufacturing operations.
Employment of chemical technicians is projected to grow 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 7,800 openings for chemical technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Chemical technicians will continue to be in demand to test new materials and products developed by chemists and chemical engineers. They also will be needed to monitor the quality of chemical products and processes. In addition, increased demand for these technicians is expected due to greater interest in environmental issues such as pollution control, clean energy, and sustainability.
For more information about chemical technicians, visit