Chemist Salary
Chemist Salary Estimate
$64,961
How much does a Chemist make?
The average salary for a chemist in the United States is $64,961. Chemist salaries typically range between $46,000 and $90,000 a year. The average hourly rate for chemists is $31.23 per hour.
Location, education, and experience impacts how much a chemist can expect to make. Chemists make the most in Delaware, Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington.
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The average salary for a chemist is $64,961 in the US. -
The average chemist salary ranges between $46,000 and $90,000 in the US. -
Hourly rates for chemists in the US typically range between $22 and $43 an hour. -
The average chemist salary is $91,070 in Delaware, $88,284 in Vermont, and $81,229 in Massachusetts. These are the three highest-paying states for chemists in the US. -
Meta has the highest average salary for chemists. -
Manufacturing is the highest-paying industry for chemists in the US.
Highest Paying States For Chemists
- State View
- County View
Chemist average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $91,070 | $43.78 | 72 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $81,229 | $39.05 | 1,082 |
| 3 | Washington | $79,198 | $38.08 | 565 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $78,435 | $37.71 | 51 |
| 5 | Vermont | $88,284 | $42.44 | 23 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $73,863 | $35.51 | 600 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $75,073 | $36.09 | 164 |
| 8 | Maryland | $75,227 | $36.17 | 512 |
| 9 | Virginia | $80,187 | $38.55 | 321 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $68,658 | $33.01 | 93 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $82,730 | $39.77 | 51 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $66,318 | $31.88 | 163 |
| 13 | Ohio | $63,339 | $30.45 | 420 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $64,696 | $31.10 | 284 |
| 15 | New York | $64,304 | $30.92 | 794 |
| 16 | Michigan | $63,587 | $30.57 | 250 |
| 17 | Texas | $63,325 | $30.44 | 736 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $62,369 | $29.99 | 81 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $65,029 | $31.26 | 28 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $66,912 | $32.17 | 47 |
| 21 | Indiana | $60,355 | $29.02 | 270 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $59,463 | $28.59 | 299 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $62,697 | $30.14 | 27 |
| 24 | Iowa | $59,328 | $28.52 | 180 |
| 25 | California | $61,259 | $29.45 | 2,275 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $57,459 | $27.62 | 677 |
| 27 | Georgia | $62,103 | $29.86 | 260 |
| 28 | Kansas | $61,051 | $29.35 | 81 |
| 29 | Colorado | $63,262 | $30.41 | 142 |
| 30 | Maine | $58,554 | $28.15 | 46 |
| 31 | Alabama | $60,518 | $29.10 | 80 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $56,502 | $27.16 | 32 |
| 33 | Montana | $60,146 | $28.92 | 24 |
| 34 | Missouri | $54,417 | $26.16 | 265 |
| 35 | Illinois | $56,144 | $26.99 | 441 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $57,410 | $27.60 | 110 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $55,562 | $26.71 | 117 |
| 38 | Oregon | $53,897 | $25.91 | 191 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $57,025 | $27.42 | 25 |
| 40 | Alaska | $55,535 | $26.70 | 25 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $56,816 | $27.32 | 39 |
| 42 | Utah | $53,315 | $25.63 | 129 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $55,111 | $26.50 | 60 |
| 44 | Arizona | $56,049 | $26.95 | 141 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $60,722 | $29.19 | 11 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $50,569 | $24.31 | 398 |
| 47 | Nevada | $53,493 | $25.72 | 44 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $51,064 | $24.55 | 66 |
| 49 | Idaho | $49,979 | $24.03 | 48 |
| 50 | Florida | $44,587 | $21.44 | 408 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $45,178 | $21.72 | 15 |
Highest Paying Cities For Chemists
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington, DE | $91,315 | $43.90 | |
| 2 | Cambridge, MA | $81,188 | $39.03 | |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $75,468 | $36.28 | 1 |
| 4 | Edison, NJ | $73,927 | $35.54 | 2 |
| 5 | Fairfield, CA | $65,822 | $31.65 | |
| 6 | New York, NY | $64,440 | $30.98 | 3 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $63,794 | $30.67 | 1 |
| 8 | The Woodlands, TX | $63,255 | $30.41 | |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $63,088 | $30.33 | 1 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $62,314 | $29.96 | 6 |
| 11 | Indianapolis, IN | $60,203 | $28.94 | 5 |
| 12 | Levittown, PA | $57,843 | $27.81 | |
| 13 | North Chicago, IL | $56,521 | $27.17 | 5 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $54,891 | $26.39 | 11 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $53,219 | $25.59 | 6 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Chemists Salary Details
What is a Chemist's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 75th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| Average | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest Paying Types of Chemists
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Quality Control Coordinator | $49,894 | $4,158 | $23.99 | 88,145 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Chemists The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $118,269 | $56.86 | 9 |
| 2 | Applied Materials | $106,293 | $51.10 | 2 |
| 3 | Arkema | $104,431 | $50.21 | 2 |
| 4 | Genentech | $104,201 | $50.10 | 27 |
| 5 | Stryker | $102,881 | $49.46 | 4 |
| 6 | The Dow Chemical Company | $102,841 | $49.44 | 2 |
| 7 | Nalco Holding Company | $102,560 | $49.31 | |
| 8 | Waters | $100,779 | $48.45 | 2 |
| 9 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $100,658 | $48.39 | 5 |
| 10 | Stepan | $100,280 | $48.21 | 1 |
| 11 | Argonne National Laboratory | $99,614 | $47.89 | 5 |
| 12 | Agilent Technologies | $99,400 | $47.79 | 1 |
| 13 | Aramco Services Company | $99,269 | $47.73 | |
| 14 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $99,192 | $47.69 | 6 |
| 15 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $99,125 | $47.66 | 28 |
| 16 | Celanese | $99,109 | $47.65 | |
| 17 | Apple | $99,007 | $47.60 | 1 |
| 18 | OSI Systems | $98,456 | $47.33 | |
| 19 | Battelle | $98,201 | $47.21 | 11 |
| 20 | Entegris | $97,789 | $47.01 | 2 |
How Much Do Chemists Make In Different Industries?
Chemist salaries can vary depending on the industry. In fact, our data shows that the manufacturing, health care, and pharmaceutical industries tend to offer much higher salaries for chemists. For example, chemists make a whopping average salary of $75,495 while working in the manufacturing industry. Meanwhile, other people in this field are making $71,028 in the health care industry and $65,464 in the pharmaceutical industry.
Chemists may want to avoid working in the retail industry as it offers the lowest average salary of $63,766.
Highest Paying Industries For Chemists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $75,495 | $36.30 |
| 2 | Health Care | $71,028 | $34.15 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $65,464 | $31.47 |
| 4 | Retail | $63,766 | $30.66 |
High Paying Chemist Jobs
Chemist Pay Trends
Average Chemist Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chemist Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $65,000 | $31.23 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $63,600 | $30.57 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $63,000 | $30.28 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | $61,200 | $29.44 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | $60,400 | $29.04 | +3.4% |
Recently Added Chemist Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church & Dwight | Chemist-Days | Vancouver, WA | 05/02/2023 | $45,900 |
| Rgbsi | Chemist | Darien, CT | 05/02/2023 | $62,610 |
| Food Safety Net Services | Chemist | Burbank, CA | 05/01/2023 | $75,000 |
| Cogent Scientific | Pharma Chemist | Louisville, CO | 04/30/2023 | $45,000 |
| Russell Tobin | Distillation Chemist | Brookfield, CT | 04/29/2023 | $56,349 |
| Belcan | Chemist | Pittsburgh, PA | 04/28/2023 | $54,262 |
| Naval Medical Command | Chemist | Kane, IL | 04/28/2023 | $76,990 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Chemist III | Pittsburgh, PA | 04/27/2023 | $68,871 |
| Randstad Us | Chemist I | North Chicago, IL | 04/27/2023 | $41,740 |
| State of Minnesota | Chemist 1 | Saint Paul, MN | 04/27/2023 | $44,745 |
Chemist Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Chemists The Most?
Delaware pays Chemists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $91,070 per year, or $43.78 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Chemist?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Chemist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Vermont you should be paid close to $88,284 per year.
Do Chemists Get Paid Well?
Yes, chemists get paid well. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for chemists was $79,300 in 2020. On the lower end, some may earn only around $44,970, usually with entry-level positions.
How Much Does A Ph.d. In Chemistry Make?
A Ph.D. in chemistry can make an upward of $60,000, depending on the industry, type of position, and experience.
According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), chemists typically need a Ph.D. to teach at a university or work as independent researchers. The salary range varies depending on where you work and your years of experience.
What Is The Highest-paid Chemist?
The highest-paid chemists typically work for the federal government.
The median annual wage for chemists working within the federal government was $116,990 in 2020. The chemists typically work with these agencies:
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