Best Chemical Technician programs in Pennsylvania, 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,.
79 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 857 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,420 in Pennsylvania across about 2,710 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
4 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 40.0501In Pennsylvania → | 832 | 97.1% | 78 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 2 | CIP 41.0301In Pennsylvania → | 19 | 2.2% | 2 | $51,860 | $11,959 |
| 3 | CIP 40.0502In Pennsylvania → | 5 | 0.6% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 4 | CIP 40.0509In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 12 of the 79 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 97 | Chemistry, General | — | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 2 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 92 | Chemistry, General | $43,571 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 74 | Chemistry, General | $47,009 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Chemistry, General | — | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 5 | Haverford College Haverford, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Chemistry, General | — | 90% | $17,179 | 12% |
| 6 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Chemistry, General | $42,022 | 75% | — | 80% |
| 7 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Chemistry, General | $49,215 | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 8 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Chemistry, General | — | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Chemistry, General | — | 52% | — | 94% |
| 10 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Chemistry, General | $44,137 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 11 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Chemistry, General | — | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 12 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Chemistry, General | — | 82% | $19,073 | 29% |
| 13 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Chemistry, General | — | 88% | $26,912 | 26% |
| 14 | Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Chemical Technology/Technician | — | 30% | — | — |
| 15 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Chemistry, General | $50,524 | 58% | — | 86% |
| 16 | Dickinson College Carlisle, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Chemistry, General | — | 80% | $22,831 | 42% |
| 17 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Chemistry, General | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 18 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Chemistry, General | — | 82% | $23,111 | 72% |
| 19 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Chemistry, General | — | 84% | $27,178 | 28% |
| 20 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Chemistry, General | — | 54% | — | 91% |
| 21 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Chemistry, General | $36,597 | 66% | — | 71% |
| 22 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Chemistry, General | — | 83% | $24,453 | 39% |
| 23 | Saint Francis University Loretto, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Chemistry, General | — | 74% | $15,989 | 77% |
| 24 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Chemistry, General | — | 86% | $30,675 | 29% |
| 25 | Bucks County Community College Newtown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Chemical Technology/Technician | — | 32% | — | — |
All 79 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania 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.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 97 | 1 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 92 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 74 | 1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 48 | 1 |
| Haverford College | Haverford | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 34 | 1 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 31 | 1 |
| Villanova University | Villanova | Private not-for-profit | 31 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | California | Public | 20 | 1 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 17 | 1 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| Lehigh Carbon Community College | Schnecksville | Public | 15 | 2 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville | Public | 15 | 1 |
What chemical technicians earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $60,390. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Pennsylvania employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
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
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania.
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 832 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 97.1% 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 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Chemistry, Physical Science Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 857 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do chemical technicians earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $59,420 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.6% below 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 Pennsylvania?+
79 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 4 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 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected 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 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, 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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