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The average salary for an organic chemist in the United States stands at $76,894 annually, which translates to approximately $37 per hour. This figure may vary based on a variety of factors, including the chemist's level of experience, education, and the specific industry in which they work.
Entry-level positions typically start at lower salaries, with experienced organic chemists earning significantly more. For instance, those with over 10 years in the field can expect salaries that exceed $90,000 per year.
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California and New York generally offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled chemists. In contrast, states with fewer job opportunities may have lower average salaries.
Organic chemists find employment in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, environmental agencies, and academia. Each industry presents unique salary potentials based on demand and funding.
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The highest-paying states for organic chemists are Delaware, Maryland, and Oklahoma. The lowest average organic chemist salary states are North Dakota, Nebraska, and Hawaii.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $101,460 | $48.78 |
| 2 | Maryland | $94,670 | $45.51 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $83,632 | $40.21 |
| 4 | Washington | $88,395 | $42.50 |
| 5 | Missouri | $78,742 | $37.86 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $97,788 | $47.01 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $79,787 | $38.36 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $86,137 | $41.41 |
| 9 | Ohio | $76,741 | $36.89 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $76,129 | $36.60 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $88,594 | $42.59 |
| 12 | Vermont | $81,319 | $39.10 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $76,098 | $36.59 |
| 14 | California | $76,771 | $36.91 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $74,558 | $35.85 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $75,917 | $36.50 |
| 17 | Virginia | $83,134 | $39.97 |
| 18 | Utah | $75,194 | $36.15 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $72,472 | $34.84 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $76,225 | $36.65 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $77,402 | $37.21 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $71,069 | $34.17 |
| 23 | Indiana | $72,848 | $35.02 |
| 24 | Iowa | $71,492 | $34.37 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $72,479 | $34.85 |
| 26 | Georgia | $72,779 | $34.99 |
| 27 | Kansas | $70,393 | $33.84 |
| 28 | Texas | $70,378 | $33.84 |
| 29 | Michigan | $67,824 | $32.61 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $66,259 | $31.86 |
| 31 | Idaho | $68,964 | $33.16 |
| 32 | Oregon | $64,413 | $30.97 |
| 33 | New York | $66,990 | $32.21 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $61,180 | $29.41 |
| 35 | Nevada | $69,055 | $33.20 |
| 36 | Alabama | $66,178 | $31.82 |
| 37 | Illinois | $62,491 | $30.04 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $61,834 | $29.73 |
| 39 | Colorado | $67,497 | $32.45 |
| 40 | Montana | $65,172 | $31.33 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $65,880 | $31.67 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $58,145 | $27.95 |
| 43 | Alaska | $63,456 | $30.51 |
| 44 | Arizona | $62,835 | $30.21 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $64,510 | $31.01 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $55,309 | $26.59 |
| 47 | Maine | $48,057 | $23.10 |
| 48 | Florida | $58,693 | $28.22 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $56,495 | $27.16 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $46,769 | $22.49 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $48,984 | $23.55 |
The highest-paying cities for organic chemists are Newark, DE, Santa Clara, CA, and Memphis, TN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, DE | $101,423 | $48.76 |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | $85,413 | $41.06 |
| 3 | Memphis, TN | $84,826 | $40.78 |
| 4 | Marlborough, MA | $83,727 | $40.25 |
| 5 | Saint Louis, MO | $80,241 | $38.58 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $76,868 | $36.96 |
| 7 | North Brunswick, NJ | $76,355 | $36.71 |
| 8 | Lubbock, TX | $75,069 | $36.09 |
| 9 | Alpharetta, GA | $73,765 | $35.46 |
| 10 | Apple Valley, MN | $73,136 | $35.16 |
| 11 | Indianapolis, IN | $72,905 | $35.05 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $71,413 | $34.33 |
| 13 | Broomfield, CO | $66,688 | $32.06 |
| 14 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $66,687 | $32.06 |
| 15 | Weston, FL | $56,228 | $27.03 |
An organic chemist's salary ranges from $50,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| Average | $76,894 | $6,408 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
The highest paying types of organic chemists are senior scientist, scientist, and senior chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Scholar | $57,587 | $4,799 | $27.69 | 18,983 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Quality Control Coordinator | $49,894 | $4,158 | $23.99 | 88,145 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Research Scientist | $89,998 | $7,500 | $43.27 | 93,013 |
Top companies hiring organic chemists now:
Organic chemist salaries at Entegris and PerkinElmer are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average organic chemist salary at companies like FMC and DuPont are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entegris | $110,734 | $53.24 |
| 2 | PerkinElmer | $108,738 | $52.28 |
| 3 | FMC | $98,974 | $47.58 |
| 4 | DuPont | $98,318 | $47.27 |
| 5 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $95,961 | $46.14 |
| 6 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $95,087 | $45.71 |
| 7 | American Chemical Society | $92,887 | $44.66 |
| 8 | Axalta | $91,981 | $44.22 |
| 9 | Vertellus | $90,600 | $43.56 |
| 10 | Novartis | $89,933 | $43.24 |
| 11 | First Solar | $87,215 | $41.93 |
| 12 | Goldbelt Falcon | $86,367 | $41.52 |
| 13 | 3D Systems | $81,262 | $39.07 |
| 14 | Modern Meadow | $75,966 | $36.52 |
| 15 | Infotree Global Solutions | $75,723 | $36.41 |
| 16 | ALS, LLC | $74,459 | $35.80 |
| 17 | Nbd | $73,931 | $35.54 |
| 18 | Knowesis | $72,036 | $34.63 |
| 19 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $69,139 | $33.24 |
| 20 | Cambridge Isotope Laboratories | $68,787 | $33.07 |
The average organic chemist salary has risen by $9,250 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average organic chemist earned $67,644 annually, but today, they earn $76,894 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for organic chemists over the last decade.
Compare organic chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare organic chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $76,900 | $36.97 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $75,300 | $36.19 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $74,600 | $35.84 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $72,500 | $34.84 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $71,500 | $34.38 | +3.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeywell | SR Synthetic Organic Chemist | Buffalo, NY | 06/11/2025 | $132,000 |
| Engineering Careers | STSI | Organic Chemist | San Diego, CA | 06/06/2025 | $145,000 |
| Yoh, A Day & Zimmermann Company | Synthetic Organic Chemist | South San Francisco, CA | 05/29/2025 | $146,090 |
| Astrix | Organic Chemist | San Jose, CA | 05/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Serco | Environmental Organic Data Validation Lead Chemist Maryland | Annapolis, MD | 05/10/2025 | $74,679 |
| Astrix Technology | Organic Chemist | South San Francisco, CA | 03/21/2025 | $73,045 |
| Visitgreenvillesc | Organic Chemist | Greenville, SC | 02/19/2025 | $62,610 |
| Savvy, Inc. | Organic Chemist Outlier New Jersey, United States Interested NOT Interested | Downe, NJ | 02/17/2025 | $62,610 |
| Savvy, Inc. | Organic Chemist Outlier Illinois, United States Interested NOT Interested | Kane, IL | 02/16/2025 | $62,610 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Advisor-Synthetic Organic Chemist-Syntech | Indianapolis, IN | 02/11/2025 | $135,000 |
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