Chemical Technicians build operations monitoring, judgment and decision making and systems evaluation skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Chemists (85%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemists | 85% | $91,240 | +51% | Bachelor's degree |
| 2 | Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 82% | $66,120Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 80% | $74,510 | +23% | None |
| 4 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 79% | $82,890 | +37% | None |
| 5 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | 78% | $78,120 | +29% | None |
| 6 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 75% | $66,120 | +9% | None |
| 7 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 75% | $58,040 | −4% | None |
| 8 | Non-Destructive Testing Specialists | 75% | $78,350Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Aviation Inspectors | 72% | $92,100Pay for the broader BLS group “Transportation Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Biomass Plant Technicians | 72% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Chemical Technicians, median $60,390. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as chemical technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
85% skill match · $91,240 · +51% pay
Programming · Complex Problem Solving · Management of Personnel Resources
82% skill match · $66,120 (broader BLS group)
Programming · Repairing · Troubleshooting
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
80% skill match · $74,510 · +23% pay
Complex Problem Solving · Programming · Installation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Chemists (85% skill match, median $91,240), Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians (82% skill match, median $66,120) and Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (80% skill match, median $74,510), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 13 pay more than chemical technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay (+71%, $103,020), Nuclear Medicine Technologists (+68%, $101,370) and Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+60%, $96,710).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.