New York·Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations·SOC 19-4031

Best Chemical Technician programs in New York, ranked by enrollment

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,.

77 schools in New York run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,127 people a year. The job pays a median of $60,900 in New York across about 2,200 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledChemical TechnicianLaboratory Analyst (Lab Analyst)Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech)Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)AssayerColoristPerfumerDye Expert
Graduates / yr
1,127
in New York
Median pay · New York
$60,900
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
2,200
people employed
Schools
77
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
65%
across those schools
Median net price
$25,885
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in New York that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

3 programs in New York that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in New York (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own New York page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 40.0501In New York
1,114
98.8%
75$42,620$23,900
2
CIP 41.0301In New York
11
1.0%
2$51,860$11,959
3
CIP 40.0509In New York
2
0.2%
1$42,620$23,900

Top 25 schools in New York

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 77 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1New York University
New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
108Chemistry, General$37,24988%$29,0239%
2Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
107Chemistry, General$31,68576%49%
3Cornell University
Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
96Chemistry, General$28,37295%$17,6139%
4Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
77Chemistry, General96%$15,3154%
5CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
77Chemistry, General$29,34057%54%
6University of Rochester
Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
63Chemistry, General85%$25,87440%
7Binghamton University
Vestal, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
55Chemistry, General$35,11582%39%
8University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
47Chemistry, General$35,28475%74%
9Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
42Chemistry, General84%$28,85146%
10CUNY Graduate School and University Center
New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
36Chemistry, General68%
11University at Albany
Albany, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
34Chemistry, General$48,27661%69%
12St. John's University - New York
Queens, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
25Chemistry, General66%$27,35983%
13CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
21Chemistry, General$34,23954%58%
14Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
20Chemistry, General84%$28,90063%
15CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
19Chemistry, General$31,81551%57%
16Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
17Chemistry, General70%$28,13367%
17Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
16Chemistry, General83%$25,23821%
18Fordham University
Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Chemistry, General82%$38,93159%
19Iona University
New Rochelle, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Chemistry, General56%$27,66087%
20Clarkson University
Potsdam, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Chemistry, General75%$27,28177%
21Colgate University
Hamilton, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Chemistry, General91%$22,90314%
22United States Military Academy
West Point, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
10Chemistry, General87%12%
23SUNY Brockport
Brockport, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
9Chemistry, General55%71%
24CUNY New York City College of Technology
Brooklyn, NY Public · 1 feeder programs
8Chemical Technology/Technician21%80%
25Hamilton College
Clinton, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
8Chemistry, General91%$20,68014%

All 77 schools in New York

Every school in New York with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in New York that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
New York UniversityNew YorkPrivate not-for-profit1081
Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookPublic1071
Cornell UniversityIthacaPrivate not-for-profit961
Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew YorkPrivate not-for-profit771
CUNY Hunter CollegeNew YorkPublic771
University of RochesterRochesterPrivate not-for-profit631
Binghamton UniversityVestalPublic551
University at BuffaloBuffaloPublic471
Syracuse UniversitySyracusePrivate not-for-profit421
CUNY Graduate School and University CenterNew YorkPublic361
University at AlbanyAlbanyPublic341
St. John's University - New YorkQueensPrivate not-for-profit251
CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklynPublic211
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroyPrivate not-for-profit201
CUNY Lehman CollegeBronxPublic191

What chemical technicians earn in New York

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in New York
$60,900
Mean annual
$62,830
Jobs in state
2,200
What the range looks like
10th pct$41,600Median$60,90090th pct$83,190
Versus the national median
+0.8%

U.S. median $60,390. New York pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
0.61×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in New York

Syracuse, NY
$65,060median
120 jobs
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
$64,060median
320 jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$60,320median
3,120 jobs
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
$60,030median
280 jobs
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY
$58,140median
40 jobs
Rochester, NY
$57,020median
190 jobs
Binghamton, NY
$51,530median
60 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+3.7%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
6,700
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
2,100
57,000 → 59,000
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Chemical Technicians page.

How to become a Chemical Technician

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

ScienceReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive ListeningMonitoring

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in New York

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 7 majors mapped to Chemical Technicians7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 40.0501Chemistry, General
  • 40.0502Analytical Chemistry
  • 40.0503Inorganic Chemistry
  • 40.0504Organic Chemistry
  • 40.0509Environmental Chemistry
  • 41.0301Chemical Technology/Technician
  • 41.0303Chemical Process Technology

Common questions

Answers for people weighing chemical technicians programs in New York.

What degree do you need to become a Chemical Technician?+

Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Chemistry, General, which awarded 1,114 degrees in New York in 2024-25, 98.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Chemical Technician?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Chemistry, Physical Science Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 1,127 people a year in New York.

How much do chemical technicians earn in New York?+

The median is $60,900 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.8% above the U.S. median of $60,390. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for chemical technicians growing?+

BLS projects a +3.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 6,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in New York?+

77 institutions in New York reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do chemical technicians work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Chemical Technician, Laboratory Analyst (Lab Analyst), Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech), Quality Control Technician (QC Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4031.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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