This article assesses the importance played by technocrats in the Chilean political process since the early decades of the twentieth century until today. Despite their self-proclaimed non-political orientation several technocratic groups have become key actors in the attempts to legitimate diverse political projects during the period under consideration. Based on the existing debate on the technocratic phenomenon a series of special features of the Chilean case are emphasized, such as: the emergency of a technocratic estate prior to the industrialization process; the strong ties existing between the middle classes and the technocratic ideology and; the moderating role played by the state technocracy to avoid direct clashes among competing political and social forces in the country.