Salary guide, May 2025
QC Lab Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Chemical Technicians in the United States was $60,390 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $48,530 and $75,900.
Also searched as: QC Analyst, Chemistry Lab Technician, Lab Technician. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Direct match · SOC 19-4031 Chemical Technicians
The QC Lab Technician title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $41,740 | $48,530 | $60,390 | $75,900 | $92,040 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20.07 | $23.33 | $29.03 | $36.49 | $44.25 |
BLS estimated 57,540 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 19-4031 Chemical Technicians, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $54,750 | $45,760 to $64,190 | 510 | 0.49 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $50,840 | $45,120 to $62,760 | 390 | 0.72 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,730 | $40,450 to $56,540 | 210 | 0.41 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $63,640 | $49,470 to $73,020 | 280 | 1 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,320 | $50,960 to $75,760 | 3,120 | 0.89 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,320 | $50,960 to $75,760 | 3,120 | 0.89 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $62,990 | $52,030 to $79,580 | 950 | 0.64 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,100 | $48,650 to $81,090 | 1,140 | 0.68 |
Rank every metro for QC Lab Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$84,690
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$65,310
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$65,170
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$63,040
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$62,420
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$61,810
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$61,440
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$60,370
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$60,010
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$59,020
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$58,250
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$57,310
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$54,500
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$53,580
- Textile Product Mills (NAICS 314000)$50,660
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 25,710 | $51,340 | $62,580 | $78,050 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 17,600 | $51,340 | $63,040 | $78,810 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,740 | $57,530 | $66,880 | $83,870 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 5,380 | $48,610 | $61,430 | $74,110 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,480 | $49,330 | $60,720 | $73,340 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,330 | $63,040 | $84,690 | $102,810 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,330 | $63,040 | $84,690 | $102,810 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 1,190 | $51,750 | $65,310 | $77,460 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 830 | $51,220 | $59,020 | $64,410 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 650 | $46,440 | $53,580 | $64,300 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 630 | $50,830 | $62,420 | $78,030 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 590 | $57,390 | $60,010 | $69,610 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 580 | $49,200 | $63,970 | $75,220 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 540 | $47,630 | $54,500 | $60,830 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 540 | $53,230 | $61,810 | $69,450 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 520 | $51,350 | $61,230 | $64,610 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 490 | $50,210 | $65,160 | $78,840 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 480 | $57,040 | $65,380 | $79,140 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 420 | $55,600 | $61,440 | $68,850 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 400 | $51,590 | $60,370 | $75,020 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 400 | $51,590 | $60,370 | $75,020 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 390 | $46,130 | $50,470 | $60,830 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 310 | $60,530 | $63,190 | $70,090 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 300 | $51,490 | $58,250 | $67,150 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 280 | $49,320 | $56,570 | $65,750 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 270 | $45,640 | $51,210 | $57,850 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 250 | $35,390 | $40,990 | $54,350 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 230 | $50,530 | $55,550 | $62,310 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 220 | $55,600 | $58,990 | $71,500 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 210 | $61,670 | $65,170 | $75,110 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 160 | $64,140 | $68,690 | $76,260 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 160 | $51,600 | $57,310 | $69,670 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 160 | $44,840 | $46,880 | $61,380 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 150 | $50,230 | $60,340 | $62,330 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 140 | $46,580 | $57,960 | $64,400 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 130 | $35,360 | $38,200 | $50,710 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 120 | $47,180 | $55,600 | $67,070 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 120 | $51,990 | $57,260 | $65,630 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 120 | $62,140 | $71,460 | $76,720 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 90 | $55,000 | $57,520 | $72,310 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 80 | $55,500 | $72,030 | $79,030 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 80 | $35,400 | $51,310 | $56,650 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 70 | $48,040 | $53,570 | $60,890 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 60 | $51,860 | $58,400 | $61,530 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 50 | $52,980 | $56,860 | $58,020 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 50 | $46,310 | $58,750 | $66,440 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 50 | $48,200 | $52,380 | $64,680 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 40 | $56,800 | $63,410 | $63,790 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 40 | $39,110 | $39,850 | $43,250 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 40 | $50,450 | $50,660 | $57,810 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 40 | $46,950 | $52,820 | $64,640 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 40 | $63,340 | $81,080 | $82,670 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 40 | $45,780 | $49,920 | $61,760 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 40 | $50,160 | $59,970 | $71,660 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 30 | $35,890 | $53,550 | $59,550 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 30 | $78,610 | $80,820 | $102,710 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For QC Lab Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $46,680 | $57,790 | $72,940 |
| May 2025 | $48,530 | $60,390 | $75,900 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about safe lab practice?
Labs hold solvents, acids, compressed gases and biological material. We ask about hazard communication, fume hood use, waste handling and spill response. A careless analyst creates risk for the whole site. We also ask how they handle repetitive work without drifting from method.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a QC Lab Technician?
The median annual wage for Chemical Technicians in the United States was $60,390 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $48,530 and $75,900.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $41,740. 90% earned less than $92,040.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a QC Lab Technician at a plant?
The QC Lab Technician title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 57,540 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The QC Lab Technician role falls under the SOC 19-4031 title for Chemical Technicians. For QC Lab Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $60,390; the May 2024 median is $57,790. Their arithmetic difference is $2,600.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width is $27,370, reflecting that firms pay differently based on requirements for wet chemistry proficiency and instrument capability like HPLC or GC. For QC Lab Technician in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $48,530 to $75,900 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Industry-specific national medians show that pay is significantly tied to the product sector. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $84,690, and Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (specific sub-sectors) shows $81,080. These industry figures are higher than the general occupation median, demonstrating the value placed on technicians who operate in complex chemical environments. For QC Lab Technician in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Regional data reveals how hub concentration impacts the labor market. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a median of $60,320 with a middle-band width of $24,800 and a location quotient of 0.89. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX shows a median of $65,050 with a middle-band width of $48,600 and a location quotient of 2.15. The high location quotient in Houston correlates with the concentration of chemical and petroleum sectors, which influences local wages. These metrics highlight that pay levels are regional benchmarks and do not replace the specific salary offers provided by employers based on individual lab experience and certification level.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the middle-band width in Houston so wide at $48,600?
This reflects the diversity of chemical technician roles in the Houston area, ranging from basic production support to specialized lab roles. The industry complexity drives a wider range of pay.
Does the data capture specialized instrument training like HPLC?
No, BLS does not track specific instrument proficiency or software experience. These skills are often the reason why individual pay varies widely within the reported range.
How does the national industry data help evaluate my pay?
It provides benchmarks for sectors that rely heavily on chemical testing. If you work in an industry with a higher median, you have a stronger basis to negotiate based on the specific criticality of your laboratory duties.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4