Chemical technicians held about 66,500 jobs in 2014. The industries that employed the most chemical technicians were as follows:
Testing laboratories
21%
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
10
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing
9
Basic chemical manufacturing
8
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private
5
Chemical technicians typically work in laboratories or in industrial facilities such as chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.
Injuries and Illnesses
Chemical technicians can be exposed to health or safety hazards when handling certain chemicals and plant 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 may work irregular hours to monitor laboratory experiments or plant operations.