Chemical Technicians
Also called: Chemical Technician, Laboratory Analyst (Lab Analyst), Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech), Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)Conduct chemical and physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative and quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, and gaseous materials for research and development of new products or processes, quality control, maintenance of environmental standards, and other work involving experimental, theoretical, or practical application of chemistry and related sciences.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 16 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 4.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 38% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $58,150 | $45,690 to $74,820 | 1,190 |
| Alaska | $79,380 | $56,680 to $86,470 | 100 |
| Arizona | $65,860 | $54,480 to $82,300 | 390 |
| Arkansas | $45,230 | $38,140 to $57,430 | 500 |
| California | $59,510 | $49,810 to $73,680 | 6,800 |
| Colorado | $63,770 | $51,210 to $80,640 | 1,180 |
| Connecticut | $57,310 | $48,980 to $70,920 | 510 |
| Delaware | $78,620 | $65,060 to $82,350 | 540 |
| District of Columbia | $56,530 | $46,810 to $60,680 | 30 |
| Florida | $54,050 | $45,100 to $64,190 | 1,840 |
| Georgia | $58,120 | $50,560 to $66,070 | 850 |
| Hawaii | $63,910 | $55,570 to $80,810 | 40 |
| Idaho | $54,560 | $43,670 to $63,790 | 170 |
| Illinois | $61,890 | $48,650 to $80,990 | 1,320 |
| Indiana | $59,290 | $46,610 to $75,430 | 1,990 |
| Iowa | $58,090 | $50,630 to $63,480 | 440 |
| Kansas | $61,560 | $50,550 to $72,130 | 370 |
| Kentucky | $60,830 | $46,690 to $72,560 | 700 |
| Louisiana | $85,850 | $69,560 to $102,810 | 960 |
| Maine | $49,280 | $47,280 to $59,050 | 100 |
| Maryland | $49,280 | $37,060 to $61,710 | 590 |
| Massachusetts | $67,570 | $59,010 to $81,880 | 1,780 |
| Michigan | $58,180 | $47,880 to $69,090 | 2,220 |
| Minnesota | $62,400 | $55,770 to $80,210 | 870 |
| Mississippi | $54,580 | $41,600 to $64,530 | 480 |
| Missouri | $68,550 | $52,540 to $84,400 | 720 |
| Montana | $52,890 | $47,490 to $78,080 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $62,640 | $53,890 to $65,090 | 280 |
| Nevada | $61,520 | $49,690 to $77,950 | 1,050 |
| New Hampshire | $48,940 | $37,440 to $56,990 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $58,580 | $51,130 to $72,110 | 2,730 |
| New Mexico | $55,120 | $47,380 to $72,810 | 250 |
| New York | $60,900 | $49,000 to $75,680 | 2,200 |
| North Carolina | $59,030 | $47,710 to $74,990 | 2,660 |
| North Dakota | $57,760 | $52,160 to $58,390 | 150 |
| Ohio | $59,750 | $47,910 to $72,930 | 3,120 |
| Oklahoma | $60,020 | $44,260 to $88,490 | 610 |
| Oregon | $57,960 | $46,430 to $64,780 | 340 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,420 | $47,690 to $75,150 | 2,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,510 | $30,240 to $47,850 | 990 |
| Rhode Island | $61,680 | $46,520 to $70,730 | 190 |
| South Carolina | $75,020 | $55,410 to $75,900 | 2,080 |
| South Dakota | $49,030 | $44,640 to $57,660 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $54,840 | $46,360 to $63,470 | 1,470 |
| Texas | $62,580 | $49,580 to $85,910 | 6,090 |
| Utah | $49,030 | $45,240 to $62,740 | 580 |
| Vermont | $65,560 | $54,440 to $86,430 | 150 |
| Virginia | $51,850 | $41,460 to $65,460 | 1,370 |
| Washington | $62,100 | $50,300 to $74,480 | 730 |
| West Virginia | $58,750 | $47,650 to $70,130 | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $59,440 | $48,480 to $67,840 | 1,090 |
| Wyoming | $56,320 | $47,740 to $84,370 | 230 |
Nationally: $60,390. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 8 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits. | Not published |
| AI alone | Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses. | 0.24% |
| AI + software | Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| AI alone | Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write technical reports or prepare graphs or charts to document experimental results. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Train new employees on topics such as the proper operation of laboratory equipment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Order and inventory materials to maintain supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design or fabricate experimental apparatus to develop new products or processes. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate experimental pilot plants, assisting with experimental design. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop new chemical engineering processes or production techniques. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct or monitor other workers producing chemical products. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #20 Present research or technical information
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data | |||
| Develop operational or technical procedures or standards | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Set up equipment | |||
| Assist scientists, scholars, or technical specialists with projects or research | |||
| Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment | |||
| Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects | |||
| Analyze data to improve operations |
Show all 17 activities
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Direct scientific or technical activities | |||
| Collect samples of products or materials | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Prepare specimens or materials for testing | |||
| Operate laboratory or field equipment | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer30%
- An analysis or summary27%
- A document or report11%
- Advice or a recommendation7%
- A chart or visualization5%
How they worked with Claude
22% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for chemical technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 10,156 moves out
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 9%
- 2 Chemists Very high +6.4% 6%
- 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 9,214 moves in
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 9%
- 2 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 8%
- 3 Chemists Very high +6.4% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 33% high school
- 22% some college
- 0% associate's
- 44% not published
O*NET marks 44% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 15 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 24% high school
- 26% some college
- 14% associate's
- 27% bachelor's
- 4% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 629 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
7 programs, such as Chemistry, General, Analytical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry.
See all
- Chemistry, General
- Analytical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
- Chemical Technology/Technician
- Chemical Process Technology
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
11.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 5 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Chemical Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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