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Best states for a medicinal chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a medicinal chemist at Merck, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for medicinal chemists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for medicinal chemists. We found that Delaware is the best state in the nation for medicinal chemists, and people in Wilmington earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for medicinal chemist 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.Delaware is the best state, and Wilmington is the city with the highest pay for medicinal chemists.
10 best states for medicinal chemists in 2025
1. Delaware
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 54 Average annual salary: $89,129 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
2. Washington
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 337 Average annual salary: $81,707 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
3. Vermont
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $86,804 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
4. New Jersey
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 363 Average annual salary: $75,158 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
5. Massachusetts
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 919 Average annual salary: $73,179 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 3.28
6. Rhode Island
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $76,383 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
7. District of Columbia
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 48 Average annual salary: $85,143 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
8. Maryland
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $74,467 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
9. New Hampshire
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 54 Average annual salary: $67,975 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
10. Missouri
Total medicinal chemist jobs: 174 Average annual salary: $68,084 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
Medicinal chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a medicinal chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a medicinal chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $89,129 | $58,000 | 961,939 | 54 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,707 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 337 |
| 3 | Vermont | $86,804 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 15 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $75,158 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 363 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $73,179 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 919 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $76,383 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 33 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $85,143 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 48 |
| 8 | Maryland | $74,467 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 358 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $67,975 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 54 |
| 10 | Missouri | $68,084 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 174 |
| 11 | Michigan | $70,681 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 135 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $72,039 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 87 |
| 13 | Ohio | $68,329 | $45,000 | 11,658,609 | 205 |
| 14 | Virginia | $71,487 | $46,000 | 8,470,020 | 175 |
| 15 | California | $68,433 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,876 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $73,434 | $48,000 | 3,930,864 | 21 |
| 17 | Texas | $67,306 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 331 |
| 18 | Indiana | $64,662 | $42,000 | 6,666,818 | 149 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $64,813 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 136 |
| 20 | Iowa | $62,675 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 103 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $67,461 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 16 |
| 22 | Utah | $63,265 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 73 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $61,794 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 59 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $63,548 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 59 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $64,275 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 64 |
| 26 | Montana | $62,346 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 17 |
| 27 | Kansas | $61,291 | $41,000 | 2,913,123 | 46 |
| 28 | Idaho | $60,758 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 29 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $56,393 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 441 |
| 30 | Alaska | $62,504 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 10 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $56,942 | $40,000 | 755,393 | 22 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $55,037 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 221 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $58,112 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 162 |
| 34 | Illinois | $58,277 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 330 |
| 35 | Georgia | $59,542 | $38,000 | 10,429,379 | 165 |
| 36 | Oregon | $56,168 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 148 |
| 37 | New York | $55,514 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 409 |
| 38 | Colorado | $59,660 | $40,000 | 5,607,154 | 91 |
| 39 | Maine | $56,119 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 23 |
| 40 | Alabama | $55,633 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 39 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $50,195 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 275 |
| 42 | Arizona | $55,903 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 72 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $51,546 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 52 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $56,903 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 22 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $55,149 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 15 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $54,153 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
| 47 | Nevada | $54,230 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 18 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $50,723 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 25 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $45,275 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 7 |
| 50 | Florida | $39,316 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 196 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $42,962 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 12 |
Highest paying states for medicinal chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Medicinal Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $89,129 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,707 |
| 3 | Vermont | $86,804 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $75,158 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $73,179 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $76,383 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $85,143 |
| 8 | Maryland | $74,467 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $67,975 |
| 10 | Missouri | $68,084 |
| 11 | Michigan | $70,681 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $72,039 |
| 13 | Ohio | $68,329 |
| 14 | Virginia | $71,487 |
| 15 | California | $68,433 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $73,434 |
| 17 | Texas | $67,306 |
| 18 | Indiana | $64,662 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $64,813 |
| 20 | Iowa | $62,675 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $67,461 |
| 22 | Utah | $63,265 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $61,794 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $63,548 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $64,275 |
| 26 | Montana | $62,346 |
| 27 | Kansas | $61,291 |
| 28 | Idaho | $60,758 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $56,393 |
| 30 | Alaska | $62,504 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $56,942 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $55,037 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $58,112 |
| 34 | Illinois | $58,277 |
| 35 | Georgia | $59,542 |
| 36 | Oregon | $56,168 |
| 37 | New York | $55,514 |
| 38 | Colorado | $59,660 |
| 39 | Maine | $56,119 |
| 40 | Alabama | $55,633 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $50,195 |
| 42 | Arizona | $55,903 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $51,546 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $56,903 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $55,149 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $54,153 |
| 47 | Nevada | $54,230 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $50,723 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $45,275 |
| 50 | Florida | $39,316 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $42,962 |
Expert opinions on the best states for medicinal chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for medicinal chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Chair, High Point University
There are several high technology hubs worldwide with promising job prospects for degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. These include the Greater Boston area, Silicon Valley, Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Austin, Texas, Southern California, Washington D.C. Metro area, New York/New Jersey Metro area, and the Seattle region.
Medicinal chemist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025