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Associate chemist salary
Average associate chemist salary
$61,544
Average Associate Chemist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Associate Chemist stands at $61,544 annually, translating to about $30 per hour. This compensation reflects the increasing demand for skilled chemists in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, environmental science, and manufacturing.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors influence an Associate Chemist's salary:
- Location: States such as California and Massachusetts typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and concentration of industries.
- Experience: Entry-level positions may start lower, but with experience, salaries can significantly increase.
- Industry: Chemists working in specialized fields like biotechnology or pharmaceuticals often earn more compared to those in education or government roles.
For job seekers, understanding these factors can help in negotiating salaries and selecting the best opportunities. To see specific salary estimates by state and industry, continue exploring our comprehensive salary database.
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Where can an Associate Chemist earn more?
Associate chemist salary estimates from across the web
Average associate chemist salary by state
The highest-paying states for associate chemists are Virginia, Massachusetts, and Delaware. The lowest average associate chemist salary states are Florida, Arkansas, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for associate chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $76,089 | $36.58 |
| 2 | Delaware | $75,891 | $36.49 |
| 3 | Maryland | $73,978 | $35.57 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,040 | $31.75 |
| 5 | Virginia | $87,684 | $42.16 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $65,689 | $31.58 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $65,727 | $31.60 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $79,545 | $38.24 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $57,238 | $27.52 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $63,353 | $30.46 |
| 11 | California | $60,225 | $28.95 |
| 12 | Vermont | $65,311 | $31.40 |
| 13 | Ohio | $56,939 | $27.37 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $56,461 | $27.14 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $54,869 | $26.38 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $57,533 | $27.66 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $63,297 | $30.43 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $60,511 | $29.09 |
| 19 | Iowa | $53,388 | $25.67 |
| 20 | Texas | $57,125 | $27.46 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $54,604 | $26.25 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $55,850 | $26.85 |
| 23 | Utah | $54,124 | $26.02 |
| 24 | New York | $56,259 | $27.05 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $54,188 | $26.05 |
| 26 | Kansas | $52,333 | $25.16 |
| 27 | Michigan | $51,119 | $24.58 |
| 28 | Missouri | $51,036 | $24.54 |
| 29 | Georgia | $53,841 | $25.89 |
| 30 | Indiana | $50,336 | $24.20 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $46,270 | $22.25 |
| 32 | Montana | $50,108 | $24.09 |
| 33 | Illinois | $49,211 | $23.66 |
| 34 | Idaho | $50,624 | $24.34 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $46,163 | $22.19 |
| 36 | Colorado | $52,784 | $25.38 |
| 37 | Alabama | $49,902 | $23.99 |
| 38 | Oregon | $46,475 | $22.34 |
| 39 | Washington | $49,474 | $23.79 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $51,228 | $24.63 |
| 41 | Nevada | $50,552 | $24.30 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $54,336 | $26.12 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $49,701 | $23.89 |
| 44 | Alaska | $46,838 | $22.52 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $44,728 | $21.50 |
| 46 | Arizona | $47,234 | $22.71 |
| 47 | Florida | $45,255 | $21.76 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $42,804 | $20.58 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,816 | $18.66 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $35,971 | $17.29 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $38,348 | $18.44 |
Highest paying cities for associate chemists
The highest-paying cities for associate chemists are Worcester, MA, Newark, DE, and Lakewood, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worcester, MA | $76,736 | $36.89 |
| 2 | Newark, DE | $75,746 | $36.42 |
| 3 | Lakewood, NJ | $66,945 | $32.19 |
| 4 | South San Francisco, CA | $66,925 | $32.18 |
| 5 | Lancaster, PA | $57,563 | $27.67 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $57,399 | $27.60 |
| 7 | Burlington, NC | $55,326 | $26.60 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $54,296 | $26.10 |
| 9 | Iowa City, IA | $54,020 | $25.97 |
| 10 | Saint Louis, MO | $51,959 | $24.98 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $51,427 | $24.72 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $50,345 | $24.20 |
| 13 | Huntsville, AL | $50,099 | $24.09 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $49,480 | $23.79 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $49,392 | $23.75 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | $46,195 | $22.21 |
| 17 | West Palm Beach, FL | $44,848 | $21.56 |
Associate chemist salary details
An associate chemist's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $97,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an associate chemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| Average | $61,544 | $5,129 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying associate chemist jobs
The highest paying types of associate chemists are scientist, senior chemist, and research and development scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Coordinator | $49,894 | $4,158 | $23.99 | 88,145 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Quality Control | $32,824 | $2,735 | $15.78 | 83,496 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
Top companies hiring associate chemists now:
Which companies pay associate chemists the most?
Associate chemist salaries at Alere and Genentech are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate chemist salary at companies like The Dow Chemical Company and BASF are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alere | $102,682 | $49.37 |
| 2 | Genentech | $102,517 | $49.29 |
| 3 | The Dow Chemical Company | $102,268 | $49.17 |
| 4 | BASF | $97,772 | $47.01 |
| 5 | Florida Power and Light | $92,086 | $44.27 |
| 6 | Air Liquide | $91,117 | $43.81 |
| 7 | LANXESS Americas | $89,296 | $42.93 |
| 8 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $89,071 | $42.82 |
| 9 | Medtronic | $88,233 | $42.42 |
| 10 | Novartis | $84,249 | $40.50 |
| 11 | Eli Lilly and Company | $83,265 | $40.03 |
| 12 | Plug Power | $79,077 | $38.02 |
| 13 | Johnson Matthey Plc | $78,245 | $37.62 |
| 14 | Nektar Therapeutics | $74,003 | $35.58 |
| 15 | Henkel | $73,739 | $35.45 |
| 16 | Sherwin-Williams | $73,293 | $35.24 |
| 17 | Benjamin Moore | $72,345 | $34.78 |
| 18 | Integrated Resources | $66,622 | $32.03 |
| 19 | Cooper Tire & Rubber | $65,550 | $31.51 |
| 20 | Abbott | $64,494 | $31.01 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Associate Chemist salary by industry
The average associate chemist salary varies across industries:
- The average associate chemist salary in the energy industry is $82,523, the highest of any industry.
- The average associate chemist salary in the finance industry is $80,208.
- Associate chemists in the professional industry earn an average salary of $55,632, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for associate chemists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $82,523 | $39.67 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $80,208 | $38.56 |
| 3 | Health Care | $76,970 | $37.00 |
| 4 | Technology | $73,655 | $35.41 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical | $61,957 | $29.79 |
| 6 | Professional | $55,632 | $26.75 |
High paying associate chemist jobs
Associate chemist salary trends
The average associate chemist salary has risen by $7,404 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate chemist earned $54,140 annually, but today, they earn $61,544 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for associate chemists over the last decade.
Compare associate chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average associate chemist salary over time
Compare associate chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Associate chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,500 | $29.59 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $60,200 | $28.97 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $59,700 | $28.69 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $58,000 | $27.89 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $57,200 | $27.51 | +3.4% |
Recently added associate chemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurofins USA Environment Testing | Associate Chemist (Hrms Prep)-Environment Testing-1St. Shift | Lancaster, PA | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| ADM | Associate Chemist | Kennesaw, GA | 06/27/2025 | $37,000 |
| Foster Farms | Associate Chemist | Delhi, CA | 06/26/2025 | $55,514 |
| Eurofins Scientific | Associate Chemist-Environment Testing-Monday-Friday-2Nd Shift | Lancaster, MN | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
| Pyramid Consulting, Inc. | Associate Technician IV(Chemist, Food Safety)/Chemist | Napoleon, OH | 05/29/2025 | $62,610 |
| Nestle | Associate Chemist | Saint Louis, MO | 05/28/2025 | $50,000 |
| Eurofins USA Environment Testing | Associate Chemist-Organic Prep-Environment Testing-1St. Shift | Lancaster, PA | 05/17/2025 | $37,566 |
| Revlon, Inc. | Associate Chemist-Temporary Position | Oxford, NC | 05/10/2025 | $65,000 |
| Love Your Revlon Career | Associate Chemist-Temporary Position | Oxford, NC | 05/10/2025 | $65,000 |
| Eurofins Scientific | Associate Chemist-Environment Testing-Monday-Friday-2Nd Shift | Lancaster, MN | 05/09/2025 | $37,566 |
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