Chemical Technician resume example
A resume for a Chemical Technician needs to show the work itself: 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. Day to day that means work like this: conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials; maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.
Also advertised as
The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
- Laboratory Analyst
- Lab Analyst
- Laboratory Technician
- Lab Tech
- Quality Control Technician
- QC Tech
- Analytical Laboratory Technician
- Analytical Lab Technician
- Chemical Analyst
- Laboratory Tester
- Lab Tester
- Organic Preparation Analyst
- Organic Prep Analyst
- Quality Control Laboratory Technician
- QC Lab Tech
- Research Technician
- Chemical Dependency Tech
- Chemical Lab Assistant
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.
What people in this job call themselves
Titles reported by people actually doing this work, which is often not the title on the job posting.
- Analytical Laboratory Technician (Analytical Lab Technician)
- Chemical Technician
- Laboratory Analyst (Lab Analyst)
- Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech)
- Laboratory Tester (Lab Tester)
- Organic Preparation Analyst (Organic Prep Analyst)
- Quality Control Laboratory Technician (QC Lab Tech)
- Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)
What this work actually involves
Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.
- Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials.
- Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.
- Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications.
- Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy.
- Prepare chemical solutions for products or processes, following standardized formulas, or create experimental formulas.
- Compile and interpret results of tests and analyses.
- Provide and maintain a safe work environment by participating in safety programs, committees, or teams and by conducting laboratory or plant safety audits.
- Provide technical support or assistance to chemists or engineers.
- Develop or conduct programs of sampling and analysis to maintain quality standards of raw materials, chemical intermediates, or products.
- Train new employees on topics such as the proper operation of laboratory equipment.
- Write technical reports or prepare graphs or charts to document experimental results.
- Order and inventory materials to maintain supplies.
16 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.
Example bullets for this role
Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.
- Conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Monitor product quality to ensure compliance with standards and specifications, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Set up and conduct chemical experiments, tests, and analyses, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, physical or chemical separation techniques, or microscopy, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Software used in this role
Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.
- C++
- Database software
- Email software
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- Linux
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Oracle Database
- Oracle Java
- Python
20 software entries are recorded in total.
Tools and equipment
The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.
- Abbe refractometers
- Agitation tanks
- Ammeters
- Aneroid barometers
- Asbestos gloves
- Atomic absorption AA spectroscopes
- Atomic emissions spectroscopes
- Automated microviscometers
- Automated polarimeters
- Automatic buret cleaners
- Automatic burets
- Automatic pipette cleaners
Skills an ATS reads for
Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.
- clean objects
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- Software development tools
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
What this job rates as most important
O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.
- 01Science
- 02Critical Thinking
- 03Reading Comprehension
- 04Active Listening
- 05Monitoring
- 06Writing
- 07Active Learning
- 08Speaking
- 09Operations Monitoring
- 10Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge areas
The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
What qualifications people in this job have
From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
- 44%Bachelor's Degree
- 33%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
- 22%Some College Courses
What level this role is pitched at
O*NET places this occupation in “Medium Preparation Needed”. 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.
Common questions
- What does a Chemical Technician do?
- 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. Day to day that includes work like conduct chemical or physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative or quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, or gaseous materials and Maintain, clean, or sterilize laboratory instruments or equipment.
- What skills should a Chemical Technician put on a resume?
- O*NET rates Science, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Monitoring among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
- What software should a Chemical Technician list?
- Software recorded for this occupation includes C++, Database software, Email software, Laboratory information management system LIMS, and Linux. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
- What other job titles cover Chemical Technician work?
- O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Laboratory Analyst, Lab Analyst, Laboratory Technician, and Lab Tech. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
- What qualifications does a Chemical Technician need?
- In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 44% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
- Will this resume pass an ATS for a Chemical Technician role?
- No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.
Related roles
Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.
What this page cannot tell you
- No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
- This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
- Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.
If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.
Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.