Chemical Technicians
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 19-4031.00
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, maintenance of environmental standards, and other work involving experimental, theoretical, or practical application of chemistry and related sciences.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.315
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.26
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only16 rated tasks · 10 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (62.5%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.O*NET Task ID 1540 | 1.0 |
Write technical reports or prepare graphs or charts to document experimental results.O*NET Task ID 1542 | 1.0 |
Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.O*NET Task ID 1535 | 0.5 |
Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy.O*NET Task ID 1536 | 0.5 |
Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses.O*NET Task ID 1538 | 0.5 |
Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers.O*NET Task ID 1539 | 0.5 |
Order and inventory materials to maintain supplies.O*NET Task ID 1543 | 0.5 |
Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products.O*NET Task ID 1544 | 0.5 |
Direct or monitor other workers producing chemical products.O*NET Task ID 1545 | 0.5 |
Develop new chemical engineering processes or production techniques.O*NET Task ID 1547 | 0.5 |
Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials.O*NET Task ID 1537 | 0.0 |
Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.O*NET Task ID 1541 | 0.0 |
Operate experimental pilot plants, assisting with experimental design.O*NET Task ID 1546 | 0.0 |
Design or fabricate experimental apparatus to develop new products or processes.O*NET Task ID 1548 | 0.0 |
Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits.O*NET Task ID 18477 | 0.0 |
Train new employees on topics such as the proper operation of laboratory equipment.O*NET Task ID 20538 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (16)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications. | Core |
| Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy. | Core |
| Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials. | Core |
| Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses. | Core |
| Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers. | Core |
| Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas. | Core |
| Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment. | Core |
| Write technical reports or prepare graphs or charts to document experimental results. | Core |
| Order and inventory materials to maintain supplies. | Core |
| Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products. | Core |
| Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits. | Core |
| Train new employees on topics such as the proper operation of laboratory equipment. | Core |
| Direct or monitor other workers producing chemical products. | Supplemental |
| Operate experimental pilot plants, assisting with experimental design. | Supplemental |
| Develop new chemical engineering processes or production techniques. | Supplemental |
| Design or fabricate experimental apparatus to develop new products or processes. | Supplemental |
0.99/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials. | E2 structured facilities |
| Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Order and inventory materials to maintain supplies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products. | E2 structured facilities |
| Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits. | E0 none |
| Operate experimental pilot plants, assisting with experimental design. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Develop new chemical engineering processes or production techniques. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Design or fabricate experimental apparatus to develop new products or processes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 60K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 63K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.9%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $60,390
- Typical education needed for entry
- Associate's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21332 | 화학 시험원 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 23221 | 석유화학 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23222 | 고무 및 플라스틱 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23223 | 농약 및 비료 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23224 | 도료제품 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23225 | 화장품 및 비누제품 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23760 | 가스 및 에너지 시험원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 23321 | 금속공학 시험원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 23322 | 요업 및 세라믹공학 시험원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 23323 | 시멘트공학 시험원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3111Chemical and Physical Science Technicians
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Chemical and physical science technicians perform technical tasks to aid in research in chemistry, physics, geology, geophysics, meteorology and astronomy, and in the development of industrial, medical, military and other practical applications of research results.
Tasks
- (a) collecting samples and preparing materials and equipment for experiments, tests and analyses;
- (b) carrying out routine laboratory tests and performing a variety of technical support functions to assist chemical and physical scientists in research, development, analysis and testing;
- (c) controlling the quality and quantity of laboratory supplies by testing samples and monitoring usage and preparing detailed estimates of quantities and costs of materials and labour required for projects, according to the specifications given;
- (d) setting up, operating, and maintaining laboratory instruments and equipment, monitoring experiments, making observations, and calculating and recording results;
- (e) preparing materials for experimentation such as freezing and slicing specimens and mixing chemicals;
- (f) collecting and testing earth and water samples, recording observations and analysing data in support of geologists or geophysicists.
Example occupations
Chemistry technician · Geology technician · Meteorology technician · Physics technician
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- chemistry technicianESCO 3111.1Same scope
Chemistry technicians monitor chemical processes and conduct tests to analyse chemical substances for manufacturing or scientific purposes. They work in laboratories or production facilities where they assist chemists in their work. Chemistry technicians perform laboratory activities, test chemical substances, analyse data and report about their work.
- scientific laboratory technicianESCO 3141.2This occupation is narrower
Scientific laboratory technicians carry out laboratory-based research, analysis and testing and support life science professionals. They sample, test, measure, research and analyse in areas such as biology, biotechnology, environmental science, forensic science and pharmacology. Scientific laboratory technicians also observe and monitor laboratory activities, record test sequences and analyse the results.
- assayerESCO 2146.1This occupation is broader
Assayers test and analyse precious metals such as silver and gold to determine the value and properties of components using chemical and physical techniques. They also seperate precious metals or other components from other materials.
- chemical manufacturing quality technicianESCO 3116.1.2This occupation is broader
Chemical manufacturing quality technicians perform inspections and precision measurements in order to test and ensure the quality of products, by using computer controlled machinery and systems.
- colour sampling technicianESCO 3116.1.3This occupation is broader
Colour sampling technicians prepare recipes of colours and dyeing mixes. They ensure consistency in colour while using materials from different sources.
- leather laboratory technicianESCO 3111.6This occupation is broader
Leather laboratory technicians perform and report chemical analyses and physical tests of leather. They also perform and report chemical analyses of auxiliaries, environmental emissions and discharges. They ensure that the tests are carried out according to appropriate national, international or customer standards.
- textile chemical quality technicianESCO 3119.15.5This occupation is broader
Textile chemical quality technicians perform chemical laboratory tests on textile materials and products. They interpret results and support colouration and finishing of textiles.
- textile quality technicianESCO 3119.15.6This occupation is broader
Textile quality technicians perform physical laboratory tests on textile materials and products. They compare textile materials and products to standards and interpret results.
- biochemistry technicianESCO 3141.2.2Overlapping, not the same
Biochemistry technicians provide technical assistance in researching, analysing and testing the reactions caused by chemicals in living organisms. They use laboratory equipment to help develop or improve chemical-based products and also collect and analyse data for experiments, compile reports and maintain laboratory stock.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H1217 | Technicien / Technicienne formulation en industrie pharmaceutique | This occupation is broader |
| H1214 | Agent / Agente de laboratoire de recherche industrielle | Overlapping, not the same |
| H1210 | Technicien / Technicienne R&D | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H1503 | Technicien / Technicienne de laboratoire d'analyse industrielle | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H1531 | Opérateur / Opératrice de laboratoire d'analyse industrielle | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3121 | Técnicos en ciencias físicas y químicas | This occupation is narrower |
| 3127 | Técnicos y analistas de laboratorio en química industrial | Overlapping, not the same |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 41322 | Berufe im chemisch-technischen Laboratorium - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 41323 | Berufe im chemisch-technischen Laboratorium - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broader |
| 22222 | Berufe im Lacklaboratorium - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 22203 | Berufe in der Farb- und Lacktechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 24303 | Berufe in der Metalloberflächenbehandlung (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 41313 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 087 | 化学技術者（開発を除く） | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 571 | 化学製品検査従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources