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Environmental chemist salary
Average environmental chemist salary
$56,956
Average Environmental Chemist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Environmental Chemist in the United States is approximately $56,956 per year, translating to around $27 per hour. Entry-level positions typically start lower, with salaries rising significantly with experience and specialization.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors affect salary levels for Environmental Chemists, including:
- Geographic Location: Salaries vary significantly across states, with higher pay often found in urban areas or regions with stringent environmental regulations.
- Industry: Chemists employed in the oil and gas extraction or government sectors tend to earn more compared to those in academia.
- Experience and Education: Advanced degrees and certifications can lead to higher salaries and more advanced positions.
Highest Paying States
States like California, Texas, and New York may offer the highest salaries, reflecting the demand for environmental expertise in industries such as energy and public health. For specific figures, refer to the average environmental chemist salary by state section.
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Where can an Environmental Chemist earn more?
Environmental chemist salary estimates from across the web
Average environmental chemist salary by state
The average environmental chemist salary in Delaware, Washington, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average environmental chemist salary states are Arkansas, Indiana, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for environmental chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $71,814 | $34.53 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $76,323 | $36.69 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $66,947 | $32.19 |
| 4 | Vermont | $70,027 | $33.67 |
| 5 | Delaware | $72,781 | $34.99 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $64,840 | $31.17 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $64,639 | $31.08 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $59,491 | $28.60 |
| 9 | Texas | $67,748 | $32.57 |
| 10 | Maryland | $70,174 | $33.74 |
| 11 | Virginia | $63,990 | $30.76 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $60,708 | $29.19 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $63,799 | $30.67 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $65,818 | $31.64 |
| 15 | Ohio | $59,108 | $28.42 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $56,538 | $27.18 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $58,255 | $28.01 |
| 18 | Utah | $57,433 | $27.61 |
| 19 | Iowa | $55,275 | $26.57 |
| 20 | Alaska | $56,288 | $27.06 |
| 21 | New York | $60,809 | $29.24 |
| 22 | Michigan | $58,755 | $28.25 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $56,316 | $27.07 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $55,766 | $26.81 |
| 25 | Kansas | $54,703 | $26.30 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $51,891 | $24.95 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $56,864 | $27.34 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $49,844 | $23.96 |
| 29 | Idaho | $54,383 | $26.15 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $53,046 | $25.50 |
| 31 | Montana | $55,205 | $26.54 |
| 32 | Illinois | $54,590 | $26.25 |
| 33 | Georgia | $54,418 | $26.16 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $53,929 | $25.93 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $47,549 | $22.86 |
| 36 | California | $49,687 | $23.89 |
| 37 | Missouri | $51,923 | $24.96 |
| 38 | Colorado | $54,464 | $26.18 |
| 39 | Florida | $49,249 | $23.68 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $46,137 | $22.18 |
| 41 | Maine | $41,403 | $19.91 |
| 42 | Alabama | $49,876 | $23.98 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $45,037 | $21.65 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $50,250 | $24.16 |
| 45 | Nevada | $50,293 | $24.18 |
| 46 | Oregon | $51,289 | $24.66 |
| 47 | Indiana | $45,878 | $22.06 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $49,660 | $23.88 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $41,020 | $19.72 |
| 50 | Arizona | $47,596 | $22.88 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $38,312 | $18.42 |
Highest paying cities for environmental chemists
The highest-paying cities for environmental chemists are Olympia, WA, Pikesville, MD, and Austin, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia, WA | $73,153 | $35.17 |
| 2 | Pikesville, MD | $70,424 | $33.86 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $67,697 | $32.55 |
| 4 | Trenton, NJ | $67,499 | $32.45 |
| 5 | Oklahoma City, OK | $65,853 | $31.66 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $64,768 | $31.14 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $64,562 | $31.04 |
| 8 | Richmond, VA | $63,947 | $30.74 |
| 9 | Hartford, CT | $60,018 | $28.85 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $58,343 | $28.05 |
| 11 | Lansing, MI | $58,326 | $28.04 |
| 12 | Albany, NY | $57,569 | $27.68 |
| 13 | Cincinnati, OH | $57,562 | $27.67 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $57,182 | $27.49 |
| 15 | Columbia, SC | $57,163 | $27.48 |
| 16 | Santa Fe, NM | $56,749 | $27.28 |
| 17 | Frankfort, KY | $56,135 | $26.99 |
| 18 | Concord, NH | $55,850 | $26.85 |
| 19 | Helena, MT | $55,112 | $26.50 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $54,979 | $26.43 |
Environmental chemist salary details
An environmental chemist's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an environmental chemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| Average | $56,956 | $4,746 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying environmental chemist jobs
The highest paying types of environmental chemists are senior research chemist, senior chemist, and process chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemist, Development | $71,571 | $5,964 | $34.41 | 57,547 |
| Quality Assurance Chemist | $59,242 | $4,937 | $28.48 | 66,457 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Laboratory Chemist | $62,702 | $5,225 | $30.15 | 41,322 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
Top companies hiring environmental chemists now:
Which companies pay environmental chemists the most?
Environmental chemist salaries at Southern California Edison and Clean Harbors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average environmental chemist salary at companies like Burns & McDonnell and Edison International are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern California Edison | $85,395 | $41.06 |
| 2 | Clean Harbors | $75,515 | $36.31 |
| 3 | Burns & McDonnell | $63,557 | $30.56 |
| 4 | Edison International | $62,943 | $30.26 |
| 5 | Serco | $62,826 | $30.20 |
| 6 | Exponent | $62,729 | $30.16 |
| 7 | Tetra Tech | $61,646 | $29.64 |
| 8 | ICF | $60,530 | $29.10 |
| 9 | Pegasus | $60,322 | $29.00 |
| 10 | Eurofins | $57,569 | $27.68 |
| 11 | MXI | $57,549 | $27.67 |
| 12 | Monroe County | $57,356 | $27.57 |
| 13 | Serco | $57,043 | $27.42 |
| 14 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $57,043 | $27.42 |
| 15 | Woods Services | $56,871 | $27.34 |
| 16 | Brookville Country Club | $55,558 | $26.71 |
| 17 | Herrera | $55,046 | $26.46 |
| 18 | Kelly Services | $53,252 | $25.60 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation | $46,358 | $22.29 |
| 20 | Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania | $43,420 | $20.88 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Environmental Chemist salary by industry
The average environmental chemist salary varies across industries:
- The average environmental chemist salary in the internet industry is $63,523, the highest of any industry.
- The average environmental chemist salary in the finance industry is $61,589.
- Environmental chemists in the government industry earn an average salary of $55,815, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for environmental chemists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internet | $63,523 | $30.54 |
| 2 | Technology | $61,589 | $29.61 |
| 3 | Professional | $60,456 | $29.07 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $58,899 | $28.32 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical | $57,565 | $27.68 |
| 6 | Energy | $56,990 | $27.40 |
| 7 | Government | $55,815 | $26.83 |
High paying environmental chemist jobs
Environmental chemist salary trends
The average environmental chemist salary has risen by $6,852 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average environmental chemist earned $50,104 annually, but today, they earn $56,956 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for environmental chemists over the last decade.
Compare environmental chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average environmental chemist salary over time
Compare environmental chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Environmental chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $57,000 | $27.38 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $55,800 | $26.81 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $55,200 | $26.55 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $53,700 | $25.81 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $53,000 | $25.46 | +3.4% |
Recently added environmental chemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Harbors | Environmental Chemist | Cottage Grove, MN | 06/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Leidos | Mid-Level Environmental Chemist/Data Validator | Cleveland, OH | 06/26/2025 | $57,850 |
| Leidos | Mid-Level Environmental Chemist/Data Validator | Saint Louis, MO | 06/26/2025 | $57,850 |
| Leidos | Mid-Level Environmental Chemist/Data Validator | Reston, VA | 06/26/2025 | $57,850 |
| Icforporated | Environmental Data Validation Chemist | Fort Meade, MD | 06/13/2025 | $60,927 |
| Patriot Environmental Services Inc. | Environmental Chemist | Salt Lake City, UT | 05/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| Kelly Services | Environmental Chemist | Middleton, MA | 05/16/2025 | $62,610 |
| Clean Harbors | Environmental Chemist | Eagan, MN | 05/09/2025 | $50,088 |
| ICF International, Inc. | Organic Environmental Chemist-Group Leader | Corvallis, OR | 05/08/2025 | $73,371 |
| ICF | Organic Environmental Chemist-Group Leader | Salem, OR | 04/26/2025 | $73,371 |
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