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Home›Chemical and Physical Science Technicians: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Chemical and Physical Science Technicians: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Chemical and Physical Science Technicians is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 3111) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.

  • Chemistry technician
  • Geology technician
  • Meteorology technician
  • Physics technician
5European countries report a shortage (EURES 2025)
6countries report a surplus
1,219open job ads right now in Germany and Sweden
3111ISCO-08 occupation code
Short answerIn the 2025 EURES report on labour shortages, 5 European countries reported a shortage of chemical and physical science technicians: Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Slovenia. 6 reported a surplus: Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Latvia and Slovakia. Belgium appears in both lists, which usually means shortages in some regions and surpluses in others.

Latest chemical and physical science technicians job ads

Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).

Germany

1,168 open ads

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany

Sweden

51 open ads

Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden

Where chemical and physical science technicians are needed in Europe

CountryEURES 2025Average gross pay, all technicians and associate professionals (2022)1-bed rent in the capital
IrelandShortage€4,667 a monthDublin: €2,000
ItalyShortage€3,001 a month *Rome: €1,300
NetherlandsShortage€3,769 a monthNot yet verified
SloveniaShortage€2,149 a monthLjubljana: €950
BelgiumShortage and surplus€4,368 a month *Brussels: €1,150
AustriaSurplus€3,816 a month *Vienna: €1,250
FinlandSurplus€3,684 a month *Helsinki: €1,150
GreeceSurplus€1,682 a month *Athens: €1,150
LatviaSurplus€1,618 a monthRiga: €870
SlovakiaSurplus€1,562 a monthBratislava: €910

Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all technicians and associate professionals in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for chemical and physical science technicians alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.

What chemical and physical science technicians do

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.

Typical tasks

  • Collecting samples and preparing materials and equipment for experiments, tests and analyses
  • 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
  • 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
  • Setting up, operating, and maintaining laboratory instruments and equipment, monitoring experiments, making observations, and calculating and recording results
  • Preparing materials for experimentation such as freezing and slicing specimens and mixing chemicals
  • Collecting and testing earth and water samples, recording observations and analysing data in support of geologists or geophysicists

Finding chemical and physical science technicians jobs in Europe

Search all EU vacancies on EURES Check if your job is regulated
  • EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Geology technician".
  • Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
  • If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.

Cost of living where the jobs are

Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:

DublinRomeLjubljanaBrussels

About this data

  • Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
  • Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
  • Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group.
  • Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.

See all jobs in demand in Europe · Methodology