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Best states for a principal chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a principal chemist at Ecolab, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for principal chemists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state in the country for principal chemists.
In order to get you the best states for principal chemists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Northeast is best for principal chemists, and the South is the worst. Richland, WA is the best city in the country for principal chemist jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for principal chemists in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total principal chemist jobs: 237 Average annual salary: $93,352 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 2.59
2. Delaware
Total principal chemist jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $96,692 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
3. Texas
Total principal chemist jobs: 1,366 Average annual salary: $81,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
4. Tennessee
Total principal chemist jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $85,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
5. Virginia
Total principal chemist jobs: 1,047 Average annual salary: $79,293 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 2.04
6. Washington
Total principal chemist jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $99,848 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.07
7. Oklahoma
Total principal chemist jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $88,252 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.32
8. Missouri
Total principal chemist jobs: 270 Average annual salary: $79,834 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
9. Ohio
Total principal chemist jobs: 620 Average annual salary: $75,358 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
10. Idaho
Total principal chemist jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $74,555 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
Principal chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $93,352 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 237 |
| 2 | Delaware | $96,692 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 67 |
| 3 | Texas | $81,546 | $53,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,366 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $85,744 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 200 |
| 5 | Virginia | $79,293 | $55,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,047 |
| 6 | Washington | $99,848 | $68,000 | 7,405,743 | 27 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $88,252 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 53 |
| 8 | Missouri | $79,834 | $55,000 | 6,113,532 | 270 |
| 9 | Ohio | $75,358 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 620 |
| 10 | Idaho | $74,555 | $51,000 | 1,716,943 | 143 |
| 11 | Maryland | $81,192 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 468 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $75,695 | $50,000 | 2,088,070 | 146 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $75,010 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 14 | Montana | $73,041 | $51,000 | 1,050,493 | 132 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $86,826 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 74 |
| 16 | Michigan | $75,653 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 254 |
| 17 | Vermont | $82,587 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 2 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $75,273 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 189 |
| 19 | Utah | $78,198 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 27 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $73,494 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 176 |
| 21 | California | $87,127 | $56,000 | 39,536,653 | 179 |
| 22 | Indiana | $73,400 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 245 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $77,556 | $55,000 | 1,059,639 | 7 |
| 24 | Kansas | $72,138 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 171 |
| 25 | Arizona | $69,144 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 530 |
| 26 | Nevada | $69,343 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 159 |
| 27 | Oregon | $69,650 | $47,000 | 4,142,776 | 490 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $70,073 | $49,000 | 5,576,606 | 624 |
| 29 | Alaska | $75,978 | $64,000 | 739,795 | 22 |
| 30 | Iowa | $72,375 | $50,000 | 3,145,711 | 81 |
| 31 | Colorado | $70,988 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 517 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $65,946 | $48,000 | 1,342,795 | 183 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,371 | $48,000 | 10,429,379 | 451 |
| 34 | Illinois | $66,174 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,012 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $67,270 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 253 |
| 36 | Alabama | $66,226 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 157 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $72,782 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 74 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $68,538 | $45,000 | 4,684,333 | 58 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $61,917 | $42,000 | 3,004,279 | 166 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $56,802 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,046 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $66,028 | $44,000 | 2,984,100 | 40 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $60,971 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 348 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $58,351 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 165 |
| 44 | New York | $58,674 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,056 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $57,394 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 722 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $62,249 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $59,396 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 22 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $52,844 | $37,000 | 579,315 | 35 |
| 49 | Florida | $46,257 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,099 |
| 50 | Maine | $52,547 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 39 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,174 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 28 |
Highest paying states for principal chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $93,352 |
| 2 | Delaware | $96,692 |
| 3 | Texas | $81,546 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $85,744 |
| 5 | Virginia | $79,293 |
| 6 | Washington | $99,848 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $88,252 |
| 8 | Missouri | $79,834 |
| 9 | Ohio | $75,358 |
| 10 | Idaho | $74,555 |
| 11 | Maryland | $81,192 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $75,695 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $75,010 |
| 14 | Montana | $73,041 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $86,826 |
| 16 | Michigan | $75,653 |
| 17 | Vermont | $82,587 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $75,273 |
| 19 | Utah | $78,198 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $73,494 |
| 21 | California | $87,127 |
| 22 | Indiana | $73,400 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $77,556 |
| 24 | Kansas | $72,138 |
| 25 | Arizona | $69,144 |
| 26 | Nevada | $69,343 |
| 27 | Oregon | $69,650 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $70,073 |
| 29 | Alaska | $75,978 |
| 30 | Iowa | $72,375 |
| 31 | Colorado | $70,988 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $65,946 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,371 |
| 34 | Illinois | $66,174 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $67,270 |
| 36 | Alabama | $66,226 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $72,782 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $68,538 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $61,917 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $56,802 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $66,028 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $60,971 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $58,351 |
| 44 | New York | $58,674 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $57,394 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $62,249 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $59,396 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $52,844 |
| 49 | Florida | $46,257 |
| 50 | Maine | $52,547 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,174 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principal chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principal 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025