Best states for a chemical laboratory scientist

Q: What is the best state for chemical laboratory scientists?

The best state to be a chemical laboratory scientist is Vermont based on chemical laboratory scientist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for chemical laboratory scientists?

The highest paying state for chemical laboratory scientists is South Dakota based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for chemical laboratory scientists?

The worst state for chemical laboratory scientists is Nebraska, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Sami Mejri Ph.D.

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Chemical laboratory scientist opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for chemical laboratory scientists, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for chemical laboratory scientists.In order to help you decide which state is the best for chemical laboratory scientists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for chemical laboratory scientist jobs.

We figured that the best places for chemical laboratory scientist jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the West is best for chemical laboratory scientists, and the Northeast is the worst. Cambridge, MA is the best city in the country for chemical laboratory scientist jobs, where as Vermont is the best state in the country.

10 best states for chemical laboratory scientists in 2025

1. Vermont
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 129
Average annual salary: $93,715
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000
Location Quotient:
1.47
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Vermont
2. Delaware
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 181
Average annual salary: $91,898
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000
Location Quotient:
1.26
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Delaware
3. New Jersey
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 1,378
Average annual salary: $77,002
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000
Location Quotient:
1.52
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in New Jersey
4. New Hampshire
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 255
Average annual salary: $74,836
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in New Hampshire
5. Massachusetts
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 945
Average annual salary: $97,911
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Massachusetts
6. Maryland
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 1,290
Average annual salary: $75,459
Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000
Location Quotient:
1.78
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Maryland
7. Rhode Island
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 118
Average annual salary: $82,803
Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000
Location Quotient:
0.85
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Rhode Island
8. Michigan
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 889
Average annual salary: $73,981
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000
Location Quotient:
1
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Michigan
9. Virginia
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 1,296
Average annual salary: $71,255
Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in Virginia
10. West Virginia
Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs: 188
Average annual salary: $66,463
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
Chemical laboratory scientist jobs in West Virginia

Chemical laboratory scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chemical laboratory scientist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a chemical laboratory scientist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Vermont	$93,715	$62,000	623,657	129
2	Delaware	$91,898	$59,000	961,939	181
3	New Jersey	$77,002	$50,000	9,005,644	1,378
4	New Hampshire	$74,836	$49,000	1,342,795	255
5	Massachusetts	$97,911	$64,000	6,859,819	945
6	Maryland	$75,459	$48,000	6,052,177	1,290
7	Rhode Island	$82,803	$54,000	1,059,639	118
8	Michigan	$73,981	$49,000	9,962,311	889
9	Virginia	$71,255	$45,000	8,470,020	1,296
10	West Virginia	$66,463	$43,000	1,815,857	188
11	Washington	$75,741	$44,000	7,405,743	749
12	Tennessee	$71,512	$46,000	6,715,984	576
13	Connecticut	$69,021	$45,000	3,588,184	439
14	District of Columbia	$86,034	$55,000	693,972	88
15	Texas	$72,643	$45,000	28,304,596	1,759
16	Oklahoma	$72,252	$46,000	3,930,864	217
17	Nevada	$71,422	$41,000	2,998,039	195
18	New Mexico	$65,645	$41,000	2,088,070	231
19	Missouri	$66,560	$43,000	6,113,532	697
20	Ohio	$67,276	$44,000	11,658,609	963
21	Maine	$61,023	$41,000	1,335,907	184
22	Utah	$64,786	$39,000	3,101,833	392
23	Indiana	$63,462	$41,000	6,666,818	699
24	Iowa	$60,674	$40,000	3,145,711	477
25	South Carolina	$64,925	$41,000	5,024,369	440
26	Minnesota	$60,408	$41,000	5,576,606	895
27	California	$68,418	$40,000	39,536,653	2,858
28	Kentucky	$62,516	$40,000	4,454,189	334
29	Kansas	$59,762	$39,000	2,913,123	353
30	Hawaii	$60,676	$50,000	1,427,538	112
31	New York	$58,245	$38,000	19,849,399	1,964
32	Idaho	$58,587	$35,000	1,716,943	205
33	Arizona	$61,499	$38,000	7,016,270	626
34	North Dakota	$50,772	$35,000	755,393	140
35	Wisconsin	$53,783	$36,000	5,795,483	703
36	Louisiana	$60,747	$38,000	4,684,333	272
37	Oregon	$58,670	$33,000	4,142,776	445
38	Pennsylvania	$54,478	$35,000	12,805,537	1,430
39	Illinois	$57,189	$37,000	12,802,023	1,462
40	Georgia	$60,307	$38,000	10,429,379	846
41	Montana	$53,043	$34,000	1,050,493	153
42	Alabama	$56,473	$35,000	4,874,747	386
43	North Carolina	$49,593	$31,000	10,273,419	1,321
44	Mississippi	$56,314	$35,000	2,984,100	184
45	Colorado	$57,188	$37,000	5,607,154	608
46	South Dakota	$40,146	$27,000	869,666	163
47	Arkansas	$50,949	$33,000	3,004,279	285
48	Florida	$53,263	$33,000	20,984,400	1,717
49	Alaska	$42,107	$26,000	739,795	114
50	Wyoming	$41,360	$27,000	579,315	76
51	Nebraska	$48,489	$32,000	1,920,076	197

Highest paying states for chemical laboratory scientists

Rank	State	Avg. Chemical Laboratory Scientist Salary
1	Vermont	$93,715
2	Delaware	$91,898
3	New Jersey	$77,002
4	New Hampshire	$74,836
5	Massachusetts	$97,911
6	Maryland	$75,459
7	Rhode Island	$82,803
8	Michigan	$73,981
9	Virginia	$71,255
10	West Virginia	$66,463
11	Washington	$75,741
12	Tennessee	$71,512
13	Connecticut	$69,021
14	District of Columbia	$86,034
15	Texas	$72,643
16	Oklahoma	$72,252
17	Nevada	$71,422
18	New Mexico	$65,645
19	Missouri	$66,560
20	Ohio	$67,276
21	Maine	$61,023
22	Utah	$64,786
23	Indiana	$63,462
24	Iowa	$60,674
25	South Carolina	$64,925
26	Minnesota	$60,408
27	California	$68,418
28	Kentucky	$62,516
29	Kansas	$59,762
30	Hawaii	$60,676
31	New York	$58,245
32	Idaho	$58,587
33	Arizona	$61,499
34	North Dakota	$50,772
35	Wisconsin	$53,783
36	Louisiana	$60,747
37	Oregon	$58,670
38	Pennsylvania	$54,478
39	Illinois	$57,189
40	Georgia	$60,307
41	Montana	$53,043
42	Alabama	$56,473
43	North Carolina	$49,593
44	Mississippi	$56,314
45	Colorado	$57,188
46	South Dakota	$40,146
47	Arkansas	$50,949
48	Florida	$53,263
49	Alaska	$42,107
50	Wyoming	$41,360
51	Nebraska	$48,489

Expert opinions on the best states for chemical laboratory scientists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chemical laboratory scientists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Tiffin University
With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.

Chemical laboratory scientist best states FAQs

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Best states for Chemical Laboratory Scientists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total chemical laboratory scientist jobs:	129
Average annual salary:	$93,715
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$62,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$139,000
Location Quotient:	1.47

Best states for a chemical laboratory scientist

10 best states for chemical laboratory scientists in 2025

1. Vermont

2. Delaware

3. New Jersey

4. New Hampshire

5. Massachusetts

6. Maryland

7. Rhode Island

8. Michigan

9. Virginia

10. West Virginia