How much does a chemistry professor make?

The average chemistry professor salary in the United States is $65,622. Chemistry professor salaries typically range between $39,000 and $108,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for chemistry professors is $31.55 per hour. Chemistry professor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Chemistry professors earn the highest average salary in California.

Chemistry professor salary

Q: What state pays Chemistry Professors the most?

California pays Chemistry Professors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $92,154 per year, or $44.30 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a chemistry professor?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a chemistry professor if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Idaho you should be paid close to $80,418 per year.

Average chemistry professor salary

$65,622

$31.55 hourly rate

Entry-level chemistry professor salary

$39,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average Chemistry Professor Salary

The average salary for a chemistry professor in the United States is approximately $65,622 per year. This figure reflects the median earnings for professionals in academia, with salaries varying based on geographic location and years of experience. For instance, professors in states like California and New York often earn significantly more due to higher living costs and demand.

Salary by Experience

Entry-level chemistry professors typically start at lower salaries, around $50,000, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $80,000 annually. Advanced degrees, such as a Ph.D., also play a crucial role in determining salary levels.

Opportunities for Higher Earnings

In addition to academic institutions, chemistry professors may find lucrative opportunities in research, consulting, or industry positions, which often offer competitive pay. Understanding the salary landscape can help aspiring educators make informed career choices.

Conclusion

For those pursuing a career in chemistry education, being aware of salary expectations and factors that influence earnings is vital. Utilize resources like Zippia to explore job listings and salary data relevant to your career path.

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Where can a Chemistry Professor earn more?

Compare salary by location

83k

63k

43k

23k

Columbus, OH$69,498

Russellville, AR$52,957

Compare salary by company

122k

102k

82k

62k

42k

22k

Harvard University$94,073

Clark College$52,179

Chemistry professor salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a chemistry professor typically falls between $65,622 and $136,564.

zippia

$65,622yearly

comparably[1]

$136,564yearly

ZipRecruiter[2]

$105,250yearly

Average chemistry professor salary by state

The highest-paying states for chemistry professors are California, Idaho, and Utah. The lowest average chemistry professor salary states are Arkansas, Colorado, and South Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for chemistry professors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Utah	$78,879	$37.92
2	New York	$74,209	$35.68
3	Michigan	$69,936	$33.62
4	Louisiana	$66,036	$31.75
5	Alaska	$71,331	$34.29
6	Idaho	$80,418	$38.66
7	Texas	$66,424	$31.93
8	California	$92,154	$44.30
9	Oregon	$68,213	$32.79
10	Iowa	$66,032	$31.75
11	Vermont	$64,797	$31.15
12	Kansas	$65,082	$31.29
13	North Dakota	$71,939	$34.59
14	New Jersey	$71,268	$34.26
15	Montana	$65,832	$31.65
16	Nevada	$68,456	$32.91
17	South Dakota	$59,763	$28.73
18	Pennsylvania	$62,663	$30.13
19	Maryland	$71,558	$34.40
20	Wisconsin	$61,873	$29.75
21	Rhode Island	$63,123	$30.35
22	Mississippi	$59,373	$28.54
23	New Mexico	$62,825	$30.20
24	Washington	$66,682	$32.06
25	Alabama	$59,708	$28.71
26	North Carolina	$61,980	$29.80
27	Maine	$60,695	$29.18
28	District of Columbia	$63,545	$30.55
29	Connecticut	$63,855	$30.70
30	Indiana	$60,487	$29.08
31	Minnesota	$60,945	$29.30
32	Delaware	$64,638	$31.08
33	Illinois	$62,414	$30.01
34	Oklahoma	$59,626	$28.67
35	Massachusetts	$64,851	$31.18
36	Missouri	$60,814	$29.24
37	Ohio	$59,122	$28.42
38	Florida	$61,148	$29.40
39	Virginia	$57,848	$27.81
40	West Virginia	$51,827	$24.92
41	New Hampshire	$60,291	$28.99
42	Nebraska	$53,921	$25.92
43	Colorado	$52,642	$25.31
44	Tennessee	$56,359	$27.10
45	Arizona	$59,563	$28.64
46	Hawaii	$57,454	$27.62
47	Kentucky	$49,363	$23.73
48	Georgia	$58,472	$28.11
49	Wyoming	$49,736	$23.91
50	South Carolina	$51,989	$24.99
51	Arkansas	$52,878	$25.42

Top chemistry professor jobs near you

Highest paying cities for chemistry professors

The highest-paying cities for chemistry professors are Queensbury, NY, Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Queensbury, NY	$69,498	$33.41
2	Vancouver, WA	$69,073	$33.21
3	Portland, OR	$67,332	$32.37
4	Lake Charles, LA	$66,847	$32.14
5	Coppell, TX	$65,379	$31.43
6	Cambridge, MA	$64,682	$31.10
7	Hobbs, NM	$62,131	$29.87
8	Fort Myers, FL	$62,007	$29.81
9	Madison, WI	$61,719	$29.67
10	Saint Paul, MN	$60,994	$29.32
11	Russellville, AR	$52,957	$25.46

Chemistry professor salary details

A chemistry professor's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $108,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average chemistry professor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a chemistry professor's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$108,000	$9,000	$52
75th Percentile	$85,000	$7,083	$41
Average	$65,622	$5,469	$32
25th Percentile	$50,000	$4,167	$24
10th Percentile	$39,000	$3,250	$19

Highest paying chemistry professor jobs

The highest paying types of chemistry professors are professor, sciences dean, and associate professor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct	$66,675	$5,556	$32.06	35,641
Chemistry Department Chairperson	$64,017	$5,335	$30.78	29,747
Professor	$157,570	$13,131	$75.75	21,861
Chemistry Instructor	$63,631	$5,303	$30.59	25,153

Top companies hiring chemistry professors now:

Which companies pay chemistry professors the most?

Chemistry professor salaries at Harvard University and University of St. Thomas are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chemistry professor salary at companies like Portland State University and University of Wisconsin System are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Harvard University	$94,073	$45.23
2	University of St. Thomas	$73,031	$35.11
3	Portland State University	$68,512	$32.94
4	University of Wisconsin System	$65,164	$31.33
5	Jacksonville University	$64,548	$31.03
6	SUNY Adirondack	$63,788	$30.67
7	UWorld	$63,513	$30.54
8	New Mexico Junior College	$60,834	$29.25
9	Tacoma Community College	$58,309	$28.03
10	Edison State Community College	$55,135	$26.51
11	Warren Wilson College	$53,992	$25.96
12	Dordt University	$53,897	$25.91
13	Arkansas Tech University	$53,044	$25.50
14	Clark College	$52,179	$25.09

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$61,000$60,200$59,400$58,600$57,800$57,000

MaleFemale

Chemistry professor salary trends

The average chemistry professor salary has risen by $7,705 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chemistry professor earned $57,917 annually, but today, they earn $65,622 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for chemistry professors over the last decade.

Compare chemistry professor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average chemistry professor salary over time

Compare chemistry professor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Chemistry professor salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$65,600	$31.55	+1.1%
2024	$64,900	$31.22	0.0%
2023	$64,900	$31.22	+3.0%
2022	$63,000	$30.29	+0.6%
2021	$62,600	$30.12	+2.2%

Recently added chemistry professor salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Florida Southwestern State College	Professor, Chemistry	Fort Myers, FL	04/09/2025	$51,976
Puget Sound	Chemistry Professor-Tenure Track, Tacoma Community College	Ione, WA	02/17/2025	$51,150
California Department of Education	Professor-Chemistry	Salinas, CA	01/15/2025	$70,608
Uottawa	Replacement Professor In Chemistry & Biomolecular Sciences	Stem, NC	10/03/2024	$89,622
American Chemical Society	Chemistry Professor, Tenure-Track	Saint Joseph, MN	09/20/2024	$75,000
Uottawa	Replacement Professor In Chemistry & Biomolecular Sciences	Stem, NC	09/03/2024	$89,622
American Chemical Society	Chemistry Professor, Tenure-Track	Saint Joseph, MN	08/30/2024	$75,000
Get It Recruit-Educational Services	Professor of Chemistry--Remote \| WFH	New York, NY	05/31/2024	$135,000
Howard Community College	Temporary Professor, Chemistry	Columbia, MD	03/26/2024	$61,000
Florida Southwestern State College	Professor, BIO Chemistry	Punta Gorda, FL	03/23/2024	$51,208

Chemistry professor salary FAQs

What state pays Chemistry Professors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a chemistry professor?

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