Also called: Cement Lab Technician, Building Materials Lab Tech
Tests samples of cement, aggregates and concrete every few hours to make sure they meet strength and chemistry standards.
You grab a sample off the production line, grind it, and run it through an X-ray analyzer. You break concrete cylinders in a hydraulic press to measure strength and log results for the control room. If something is off, you are the first to know.
Estimated from BLS chemical technicians.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 1 year after high school. High school or an associate's in chemistry or lab technology.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Technology, Construction Materials Technology.
Growing about average. Steady.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Automated lab robots and online analyzers now do much of cement plant testing; fewer lab techs are needed.
Classes: Chemistry, Algebra II, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.