Chemical Technicians
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
19-4031.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$60,390
Employment, U.S.57,540
Median hourly wage$29.03
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $41,740 | $48,530 | $60,390 | $75,900 | $92,040 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,190 | $58,150 | 1.53 |
| Alaska | 100 | $79,380 | 0.82 |
| Arizona | 390 | $65,860 | 0.32 |
| Arkansas | 500 | $45,230 | 1.04 |
| California | 6,800 | $59,510 | 1.01 |
| Colorado | 1,180 | $63,770 | 1.11 |
| Connecticut | 510 | $57,310 | 0.81 |
| Delaware | 540 | $78,620 | 3.02 |
| District of Columbia | 30 | $56,530 | 0.12 |
| Florida | 1,840 | $54,050 | 0.50 |
| Georgia | 850 | $58,120 | 0.47 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $63,910 | 0.18 |
| Idaho | 170 | $54,560 | 0.52 |
| Illinois | 1,320 | $61,890 | 0.58 |
| Indiana | 1,990 | $59,290 | 1.68 |
| Iowa | 440 | $58,090 | 0.77 |
| Kansas | 370 | $61,560 | 0.70 |
| Kentucky | 700 | $60,830 | 0.94 |
| Louisiana | 960 | $85,850 | 1.34 |
| Maine | 100 | $49,280 | 0.43 |
| Maryland | 590 | $49,280 | 0.58 |
| Massachusetts | 1,780 | $67,570 | 1.32 |
| Michigan | 2,220 | $58,180 | 1.36 |
| Minnesota | 870 | $62,400 | 0.80 |
| Mississippi | 480 | $54,580 | 1.13 |
| Missouri | 720 | $68,550 | 0.66 |
| Montana | 240 | $52,890 | 1.29 |
| Nebraska | 280 | $62,640 | 0.74 |
| Nevada | 1,050 | $61,520 | 1.82 |
| New Hampshire | 220 | $48,940 | 0.88 |
| New Jersey | 2,730 | $58,580 | 1.72 |
| New Mexico | 250 | $55,120 | 0.76 |
| New York | 2,200 | $60,900 | 0.61 |
| North Carolina | 2,660 | $59,030 | 1.46 |
| North Dakota | 150 | $57,760 | 0.93 |
| Ohio | 3,120 | $59,750 | 1.52 |
| Oklahoma | 610 | $60,020 | 0.96 |
| Oregon | 340 | $57,960 | 0.46 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,710 | $59,420 | 1.21 |
| Rhode Island | 190 | $61,680 | 1.02 |
| South Carolina | 2,080 | $75,020 | 2.43 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $49,030 | 0.54 |
| Tennessee | 1,470 | $54,840 | 1.21 |
| Texas | 6,090 | $62,580 | 1.17 |
| Utah | 580 | $49,030 | 0.90 |
| Vermont | 150 | $65,560 | 1.37 |
| Virginia | 1,370 | $51,850 | 0.90 |
| Washington | 730 | $62,100 | 0.55 |
| West Virginia | 230 | $58,750 | 0.89 |
| Wisconsin | 1,090 | $59,440 | 1.00 |
| Wyoming | 230 | $56,320 | 2.21 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemists | 4 | 0.966 |
| 2 | Quality Control Analysts | 3 | 0.961 |
| 3 | Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | 3 | 0.959 |
| 4 | Histotechnologists | 4 | 0.952 |
| 5 | Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 4 | 0.951 |
| 6 | Biological Technicians | 4 | 0.947 |
| 7 | Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 4 | 0.946 |
| 8 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | 4 | 0.943 |
| 9 | Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 4 | 0.943 |
| 10 | Food Science Technicians | 3 | 0.942 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Chemical Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.929 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Chemical Technicians, excluding software Chemical Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory information system LIS | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| Microscopic image capturing software | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Statistical software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| Graphics software | 5 of 20 | 4.4x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 5 of 20 | 3.7x |
| MEDITECH software | 4 of 20 | 2.4x |
| Corel WordPerfect Office Suite | 3 of 20 | 2.2x |
| IBM Notes | 4 of 20 | 1.8x |
| Minitab | 3 of 20 | 2.0x |
| Geographic information system GIS software | 3 of 20 | 2.0x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 3.81 | 4.81 |
| English Language | 3.52 | 3.25 |
| Mathematics | 3.39 | 3.62 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.11 | 3.38 |
| Production and Processing | 2.97 | 3.08 |
| Administrative | 2.94 | 3.23 |
| Education and Training | 2.66 | 3.27 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.41 | 2.19 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.40 | 2.55 |
| Mechanical | 2.19 | 2.23 |
| Transportation | 2.11 | 2.42 |
| Physics | 2.04 | 1.68 |
| Communications and Media | 1.93 | 1.88 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.90 | 1.49 |
| Administration and Management | 1.88 | 1.72 |
| Law and Government | 1.82 | 1.53 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.74 | 1.31 |
| Design | 1.71 | 1.44 |
| Biology | 1.62 | 1.71 |
| Telecommunications | 1.61 | 0.95 |
| Geography | 1.59 | 1.28 |
| Foreign Language | 1.48 | not rated |
| Psychology | 1.48 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.46 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.38 | 0.86 |
| Fine Arts | 1.23 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.21 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.15 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.11 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.03 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.01 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Number Facility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Memorization | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Rate Control | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Reaction Time | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Depth Perception | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Stamina | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- C++ hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Database hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Python hot
- R hot
- SAP software hot
- Structured query language SQL hot
- Database software
- Email software
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- Software development tools
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 300 | 6.73 | $65,250 |
| Decatur, AL | 140 | 6.18 | $64,840 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 350 | 5.72 | $79,290 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 120 | 5.39 | $67,430 |
| Evansville, IN | 220 | 4.48 | $85,230 |
| Reno, NV | 440 | 4.27 | $57,880 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 120 | 4.25 | $57,670 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 150 | 3.91 | $88,780 |
| Midland, TX | 160 | 3.49 | $61,690 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 150 | 3.45 | $52,600 |