Chemical Technicians Salary
Chemical Technicians in Ann Arbor, MI make a median of $47,880 a year, or about $23.02 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.88), that's roughly $47,462 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,656/month, about 50.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Ann Arbor, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ann Arbor’s Regional Price Parity (100.88). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chemical technicians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Ann Arbor
Pay for chemical technicians in Ann Arbor runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,656/month, which is 51.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.88) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chemical technicians.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical technicians in metros near Ann Arbor, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $49K | $49K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $65K | $69K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $49K | $52K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $66K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ann Arbor, MI
Entry-level chemical technicians (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $86K | +42% | 960 |
| Alaska | $79K | +31% | 100 |
| Delaware | $79K | +30% | 540 |
| South Carolina | $75K | +24% | 2,080 |
| Missouri | $69K | +14% | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $68K | +12% | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $66K | +9% | 390 |
| Vermont | $66K | +9% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $64K | +6% | 40 |
| Colorado | $64K | +6% | 1,180 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +4% | 280 |
| Texas | $63K | +4% | 6,090 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +3% | 870 |
| Washington | $62K | +3% | 730 |
| Illinois | $62K | +2% | 1,320 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | +2% | 190 |
| Kansas | $62K | +2% | 370 |
| Nevada | $62K | +2% | 1,050 |
| New York | $61K | +1% | 2,200 |
| Kentucky | $61K | +1% | 700 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -1% | 610 |
| Ohio | $60K | -1% | 3,120 |
| California | $60K | -1% | 6,800 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -2% | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -2% | 2,710 |
| Indiana | $59K | -2% | 1,990 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -2% | 2,660 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -3% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $59K | -3% | 2,730 |
| Michigan | $58K | -4% | 2,220 |
| Alabama | $58K | -4% | 1,190 |
| Georgia | $58K | -4% | 850 |
| Iowa | $58K | -4% | 440 |
| Oregon | $58K | -4% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -4% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $57K | -5% | 510 |
| District of Columbia | $57K | -6% | 30 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -7% | 230 |
| New Mexico | $55K | -9% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -9% | 1,470 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -10% | 480 |
| Idaho | $55K | -10% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -10% | 1,840 |
| Montana | $53K | -12% | 240 |
| Virginia | $52K | -14% | 1,370 |
| Maryland | $49K | -18% | 590 |
| Maine | $49K | -18% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 90 |
| Utah | $49K | -19% | 580 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -19% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -25% | 500 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track chemical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Ann Arbor numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ann Arbor?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 51.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,656/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical technicians in Ann Arbor?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical technicians typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,506/month. At HUD’s $1,656/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical technician a high-paying job in Ann Arbor?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $48K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Ann Arbor compare to the national average for chemical technicians?
Ann Arbor pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do chemical technicians make in Ann Arbor, MI?
The median is $47,880 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,840, and experienced chemical technicians can clear $64,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Ann Arbor?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,206/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,656/month, which eats 51.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chemical technicians salary go in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor has a Regional Price Parity of 100.88 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical technicians salary is worth about $47,462 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.