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Best states for a chief chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and life, physical, and social science careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to chief chemist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for chief chemists.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of chief chemists in America is $125,000.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for chief chemists. Delaware is the best state for chief chemists, where the median salary is $106,917.If you are currently seeking employment as a chief chemist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for chief chemists in 2026
1. Delaware
Total chief chemist jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $106,917 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.92
2. District of Columbia
Total chief chemist jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $101,798 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 4.16
3. New Jersey
Total chief chemist jobs: 183 Average annual salary: $96,732 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
4. Washington
Total chief chemist jobs: 179 Average annual salary: $92,393 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
5. Massachusetts
Total chief chemist jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $88,898 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
6. Rhode Island
Total chief chemist jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $89,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
7. Maryland
Total chief chemist jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $87,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
8. New York
Total chief chemist jobs: 416 Average annual salary: $86,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
9. Virginia
Total chief chemist jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $85,755 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
10. Vermont
Total chief chemist jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $85,845 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Chief chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $106,917 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 55 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $101,798 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 159 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $96,732 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 183 |
| 4 | Washington | $92,393 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 179 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $88,898 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 326 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $89,166 | $57,000 | 1,059,639 | 25 |
| 7 | Maryland | $87,995 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 169 |
| 8 | New York | $86,907 | $55,000 | 19,849,399 | 416 |
| 9 | Virginia | $85,755 | $54,000 | 8,470,020 | 251 |
| 10 | Vermont | $85,845 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 17 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $86,777 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 100 |
| 12 | Michigan | $81,494 | $50,000 | 9,962,311 | 169 |
| 13 | California | $85,839 | $52,000 | 39,536,653 | 859 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $87,976 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 31 |
| 15 | Ohio | $80,362 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 173 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $80,035 | $49,000 | 2,088,070 | 38 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $79,896 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 24 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $78,331 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 95 |
| 19 | Arizona | $74,135 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 154 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $75,729 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 111 |
| 21 | Nevada | $74,023 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 46 |
| 22 | Utah | $74,460 | $45,000 | 3,101,833 | 68 |
| 23 | Indiana | $76,388 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 99 |
| 24 | Missouri | $79,208 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 91 |
| 25 | Iowa | $72,312 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 74 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $75,904 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 39 |
| 27 | Texas | $71,353 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 417 |
| 28 | Oregon | $68,111 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 107 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $73,575 | $47,000 | 1,342,795 | 28 |
| 30 | Alaska | $62,032 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 19 |
| 31 | Georgia | $72,182 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 185 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $65,104 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 261 |
| 33 | Kansas | $70,339 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 47 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $69,188 | $41,000 | 4,684,333 | 60 |
| 35 | Alabama | $67,737 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 85 |
| 36 | Illinois | $68,850 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 241 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $64,566 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 151 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $63,406 | $39,000 | 5,795,483 | 119 |
| 39 | Idaho | $69,006 | $42,000 | 1,716,943 | 24 |
| 40 | Montana | $62,142 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 25 |
| 41 | Colorado | $66,786 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 109 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $56,705 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 18 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $68,093 | $41,000 | 2,984,100 | 19 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $63,477 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 189 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $47,167 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 14 |
| 46 | Maine | $50,796 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 29 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $61,379 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 36 |
| 48 | Florida | $47,668 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 320 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $57,884 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 14 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $56,075 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 33 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $46,491 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 10 |
Highest paying states for chief chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $106,917 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $101,798 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $96,732 |
| 4 | Washington | $92,393 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $88,898 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $89,166 |
| 7 | Maryland | $87,995 |
| 8 | New York | $86,907 |
| 9 | Virginia | $85,755 |
| 10 | Vermont | $85,845 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $86,777 |
| 12 | Michigan | $81,494 |
| 13 | California | $85,839 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $87,976 |
| 15 | Ohio | $80,362 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $80,035 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $79,896 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $78,331 |
| 19 | Arizona | $74,135 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $75,729 |
| 21 | Nevada | $74,023 |
| 22 | Utah | $74,460 |
| 23 | Indiana | $76,388 |
| 24 | Missouri | $79,208 |
| 25 | Iowa | $72,312 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $75,904 |
| 27 | Texas | $71,353 |
| 28 | Oregon | $68,111 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $73,575 |
| 30 | Alaska | $62,032 |
| 31 | Georgia | $72,182 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $65,104 |
| 33 | Kansas | $70,339 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $69,188 |
| 35 | Alabama | $67,737 |
| 36 | Illinois | $68,850 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $64,566 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $63,406 |
| 39 | Idaho | $69,006 |
| 40 | Montana | $62,142 |
| 41 | Colorado | $66,786 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $56,705 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $68,093 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $63,477 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $47,167 |
| 46 | Maine | $50,796 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $61,379 |
| 48 | Florida | $47,668 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $57,884 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $56,075 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $46,491 |
Expert opinions on the best states for chief chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry, University of South Florida
One of the great things about chemistry is that there are so many areas for our graduates to work, whether in health care, quality control, energy, defense, or elsewhere. Each of these areas is well represented geographically, with specific concentrations for each. Much of the energy research is based in Texas and Oklahoma. Defense research is often proximal to bases. Healthcare research has hubs in the northeast (primarily Boston) and west coast (mainly the Bay area). Quality control is often wherever manufacturing is taking place. We're fortunate that many of these opportunities are present in the Tampa area, with solar energy, MacDill, biotech companies, and manufacturers like Yuengling and Coca Cola, nearby.
Chief chemist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025