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The average salary for a Quality Control Chemist is approximately $58,892 per year, translating to about $28 per hour. These professionals play a vital role in ensuring that products meet safety and quality standards across various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food production, and manufacturing.
Salary can vary based on several factors:
In addition to the base salary, many companies offer benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, which can add significant value to the overall compensation package. Understanding these dynamics helps you make informed decisions about your career in quality control chemistry.
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The highest-paying states for quality control chemists are Vermont, Washington, and Rhode Island. The lowest average quality control chemist salary states are Nevada, Florida, and Arkansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $69,916 | $33.61 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $69,637 | $33.48 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $71,449 | $34.35 |
| 4 | Washington | $71,652 | $34.45 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $71,036 | $34.15 |
| 6 | Delaware | $69,270 | $33.30 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $63,217 | $30.39 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $71,415 | $34.33 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $61,109 | $29.38 |
| 10 | Vermont | $82,092 | $39.47 |
| 11 | Michigan | $61,142 | $29.40 |
| 12 | Maryland | $67,751 | $32.57 |
| 13 | Virginia | $67,355 | $32.38 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $76,859 | $36.95 |
| 15 | Missouri | $61,382 | $29.51 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $60,960 | $29.31 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $58,625 | $28.19 |
| 18 | Texas | $60,872 | $29.27 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $56,873 | $27.34 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $60,749 | $29.21 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $55,565 | $26.71 |
| 22 | Alaska | $63,641 | $30.60 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $59,771 | $28.74 |
| 24 | Iowa | $56,312 | $27.07 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $58,292 | $28.02 |
| 26 | Kansas | $58,037 | $27.90 |
| 27 | Georgia | $57,321 | $27.56 |
| 28 | Montana | $59,855 | $28.78 |
| 29 | California | $55,480 | $26.67 |
| 30 | New York | $56,858 | $27.34 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $55,103 | $26.49 |
| 32 | Idaho | $57,601 | $27.69 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $51,978 | $24.99 |
| 34 | Ohio | $53,474 | $25.71 |
| 35 | Alabama | $53,361 | $25.65 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $53,265 | $25.61 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $54,219 | $26.07 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $59,353 | $28.54 |
| 39 | Indiana | $50,386 | $24.22 |
| 40 | Illinois | $51,893 | $24.95 |
| 41 | Maine | $54,177 | $26.05 |
| 42 | Utah | $48,753 | $23.44 |
| 43 | Arizona | $52,043 | $25.02 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $53,817 | $25.87 |
| 45 | Oregon | $50,280 | $24.17 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $48,945 | $23.53 |
| 47 | Colorado | $50,723 | $24.39 |
| 48 | Florida | $49,334 | $23.72 |
| 49 | Nevada | $49,465 | $23.78 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $47,955 | $23.06 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $43,335 | $20.83 |
The highest-paying cities for quality control chemists are North Kingstown, RI, North Andover, MA, and Elizabeth, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Kingstown, RI | $71,401 | $34.33 |
| 2 | North Andover, MA | $71,128 | $34.20 |
| 3 | Elizabeth, NJ | $69,736 | $33.53 |
| 4 | Round Rock, TX | $60,955 | $29.31 |
| 5 | Chaska, MN | $58,497 | $28.12 |
| 6 | Levittown, PA | $57,087 | $27.45 |
| 7 | Central Islip, NY | $56,986 | $27.40 |
| 8 | Hayward, CA | $56,751 | $27.28 |
| 9 | Wilson, NC | $56,241 | $27.04 |
| 10 | Huntsville, AL | $53,752 | $25.84 |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | $52,461 | $25.22 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $52,059 | $25.03 |
| 13 | Chandler, AZ | $52,007 | $25.00 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $50,217 | $24.14 |
| 15 | Largo, FL | $49,312 | $23.71 |
| 16 | Pleasant Grove, UT | $48,730 | $23.43 |
A quality control chemist's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| Average | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
The highest paying types of quality control chemists are scientist, senior chemist, and research and development scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
Top companies hiring quality control chemists now:
Quality control chemist salaries at Hallstar and Kao Brands are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average quality control chemist salary at companies like Veritas Health Services Inc and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hallstar | $69,182 | $33.26 |
| 2 | Kao Brands | $67,729 | $32.56 |
| 3 | Veritas Health Services Inc | $67,545 | $32.47 |
| 4 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $66,133 | $31.79 |
| 5 | Vertellus | $66,032 | $31.75 |
| 6 | CP Kelco | $66,026 | $31.74 |
| 7 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $65,814 | $31.64 |
| 8 | AstraZeneca | $65,670 | $31.57 |
| 9 | Sandoz | $65,653 | $31.56 |
| 10 | SCIENTECH | $65,560 | $31.52 |
| 11 | Watson Pharma Pvt Ltd | $65,536 | $31.51 |
| 12 | Johnson Matthey Plc | $65,183 | $31.34 |
| 13 | Sigma-Aldrich | $64,958 | $31.23 |
| 14 | Nalco Holding Company | $64,627 | $31.07 |
| 15 | Momar | $64,624 | $31.07 |
| 16 | Blistex | $64,328 | $30.93 |
| 17 | General Electric | $63,933 | $30.74 |
| 18 | AMRI | $63,610 | $30.58 |
| 19 | Air Liquide | $63,596 | $30.57 |
| 20 | Hydrite | $63,237 | $30.40 |
The average quality control chemist salary has risen by $7,085 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average quality control chemist earned $51,807 annually, but today, they earn $58,892 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for quality control chemists over the last decade.
Compare quality control chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare quality control chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,900 | $28.31 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $57,700 | $27.72 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $57,100 | $27.45 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $55,500 | $26.69 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $54,800 | $26.33 | +3.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZP Group | Quality Control Chemist | Point, PA | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| EMD Electronics | QC Chemist | Branchburg, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $48,001 |
| Actalent | Quality Control Chemist | Milwaukee, WI | 06/29/2025 | $50,171 |
| Abbott Laboratories | QC Chemist I | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $72,100 |
| Kelly Services | QC Chemist I | Chaska, MN | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Astrix Technology | QC Chemist | Covington, KY | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Actalent | Quality Control Chemist | Fall River, MA | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| Actalent | QC Chemist | Commerce, CA | 06/27/2025 | $48,001 |
| Actalent | Scientist II/III-Quality Control Chemist | Durham, NC | 06/27/2025 | $75,000 |
| Cipla Ltd. | QC Chemist II | Fall River, MA | 06/26/2025 | $72,800 |
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