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Research chemist salary
Average research chemist salary
$75,843
Average Research Chemist Salary
The average salary for a research chemist is approximately $75,843 per year. This figure reflects a variety of factors, including geographical location and years of experience. Research chemists in metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher demand and cost of living adjustments.
Salary by State
Research chemists in states like California and New York typically command higher salaries due to the concentration of biotech firms. For instance, the highest paying states include:
- California: $85,000
- Massachusetts: $82,000
- New York: $80,000
Additionally, experience plays a significant role in determining salary levels. Entry-level positions may start around $60,000, while seasoned professionals with specialized skills can earn over $100,000 annually. The industry you choose also affects potential earnings, with pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors offering some of the highest salaries.
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Where can a Research Chemist earn more?
Research chemist salary estimates from across the web
Average research chemist salary by state
The average research chemist salary in Virginia, Delaware, and Tennessee are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research chemist salary states are Missouri, Nebraska, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $98,255 | $47.24 |
| 2 | Virginia | $108,101 | $51.97 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $86,773 | $41.72 |
| 4 | Vermont | $85,106 | $40.92 |
| 5 | Tennessee | $91,197 | $43.84 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $78,557 | $37.77 |
| 7 | Texas | $81,962 | $39.40 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $87,800 | $42.21 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $79,489 | $38.22 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $76,047 | $36.56 |
| 11 | Ohio | $75,955 | $36.52 |
| 12 | Maryland | $88,507 | $42.55 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $76,867 | $36.96 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $96,173 | $46.24 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $78,313 | $37.65 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $73,253 | $35.22 |
| 17 | California | $75,933 | $36.51 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $77,582 | $37.30 |
| 19 | Michigan | $71,656 | $34.45 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $78,455 | $37.72 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $69,423 | $33.38 |
| 22 | Iowa | $73,314 | $35.25 |
| 23 | Washington | $78,221 | $37.61 |
| 24 | Oregon | $69,683 | $33.50 |
| 25 | Idaho | $73,311 | $35.25 |
| 26 | Colorado | $72,053 | $34.64 |
| 27 | Kansas | $72,332 | $34.77 |
| 28 | Montana | $71,672 | $34.46 |
| 29 | Alaska | $80,208 | $38.56 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $67,483 | $32.44 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $70,022 | $33.66 |
| 32 | Georgia | $70,255 | $33.78 |
| 33 | Nevada | $70,424 | $33.86 |
| 34 | Indiana | $66,954 | $32.19 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $72,164 | $34.69 |
| 36 | Illinois | $65,813 | $31.64 |
| 37 | Alabama | $67,922 | $32.65 |
| 38 | Utah | $62,497 | $30.05 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $63,779 | $30.66 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $68,313 | $32.84 |
| 41 | Arizona | $64,994 | $31.25 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $59,144 | $28.43 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $62,890 | $30.24 |
| 44 | Missouri | $60,839 | $29.25 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $62,758 | $30.17 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $62,126 | $29.87 |
| 47 | New York | $64,089 | $30.81 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $49,343 | $23.72 |
| 49 | Maine | $50,400 | $24.23 |
| 50 | Florida | $55,494 | $26.68 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $52,083 | $25.04 |
Highest paying cities for research chemists
The highest-paying cities for research chemists are McLean, VA, Wilmington, DE, and Kingsport, TN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLean, VA | $108,186 | $52.01 |
| 2 | Wilmington, DE | $98,095 | $47.16 |
| 3 | Kingsport, TN | $93,807 | $45.10 |
| 4 | Cambridge, MA | $86,453 | $41.56 |
| 5 | Houston, TX | $82,015 | $39.43 |
| 6 | Richmond, CA | $81,369 | $39.12 |
| 7 | Ewing, NJ | $80,202 | $38.56 |
| 8 | Spartanburg, SC | $78,942 | $37.95 |
| 9 | Cincinnati, OH | $75,930 | $36.50 |
| 10 | Littleton, CO | $72,097 | $34.66 |
| 11 | Ann Arbor, MI | $72,058 | $34.64 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $70,458 | $33.87 |
| 13 | Levittown, PA | $69,584 | $33.45 |
| 14 | Lafayette, LA | $68,522 | $32.94 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,046 | $32.23 |
| 16 | Champaign, IL | $65,949 | $31.71 |
| 17 | New York, NY | $64,486 | $31.00 |
| 18 | Cary, NC | $63,260 | $30.41 |
| 19 | Logan, UT | $61,129 | $29.39 |
| 20 | Columbia, MO | $61,001 | $29.33 |
Research chemist salary details
A research chemist's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $108,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research chemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $108,000 | $9,000 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| Average | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying research chemist jobs
The highest paying types of research chemists are senior chemist, research and development scientist, and research scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Quality Control | $32,824 | $2,735 | $15.78 | 83,496 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
Top companies hiring research chemists now:
Which companies pay research chemists the most?
Research chemist salaries at BP America Inc and Albemarle are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research chemist salary at companies like Cargill and Chevron are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BP America Inc | $109,313 | $52.55 |
| 2 | Albemarle | $109,207 | $52.50 |
| 3 | Cargill | $108,090 | $51.97 |
| 4 | Chevron | $104,740 | $50.36 |
| 5 | Stepan | $101,182 | $48.65 |
| 6 | Exxon Mobil | $100,917 | $48.52 |
| 7 | Celanese | $97,339 | $46.80 |
| 8 | RTI International Metals | $96,220 | $46.26 |
| 9 | The Dow Chemical Company | $95,654 | $45.99 |
| 10 | Valicor | $95,225 | $45.78 |
| 11 | Battelle | $94,035 | $45.21 |
| 12 | Eastman | $93,513 | $44.96 |
| 13 | Energy Inc. | $91,680 | $44.08 |
| 14 | FMC | $91,273 | $43.88 |
| 15 | Cytec Industries | $91,056 | $43.78 |
| 16 | Nitto Avecia | $90,222 | $43.38 |
| 17 | Merck | $89,883 | $43.21 |
| 18 | BASF | $89,600 | $43.08 |
| 19 | Air Products | $88,971 | $42.77 |
| 20 | PPG | $88,514 | $42.55 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Chemist salary by industry
The average research chemist salary varies across industries:
- The average research chemist salary in the energy industry is $92,565, the highest of any industry.
- The average research chemist salary in the finance industry is $85,705.
- Research chemists in the government industry earn an average salary of $74,061, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research chemists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $92,565 | $44.50 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $85,705 | $41.20 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $84,287 | $40.52 |
| 4 | Technology | $83,266 | $40.03 |
| 5 | Retail | $76,810 | $36.93 |
| 6 | Government | $74,061 | $35.61 |
High paying research chemist jobs
Research chemist salary trends
The average research chemist salary has risen by $9,124 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research chemist earned $66,719 annually, but today, they earn $75,843 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for research chemists over the last decade.
Compare research chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research chemist salary over time
Compare research chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $75,800 | $36.46 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $74,200 | $35.70 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $73,500 | $35.35 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $71,500 | $34.37 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $70,500 | $33.91 | +3.4% |
Recently added research chemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volt | Lab Research Chemist/Physicist/Engineer III | Flemington, NJ | 06/20/2025 | $75,821 |
| Frontage Laboratories, Inc. | Research Chemist | Chicago, IL | 06/16/2025 | $60,000 |
| The Geneva Foundation | Research Chemist | Rockville, MD | 06/09/2025 | $110,000 |
| Nivagen Pharmaceuticals | Research Chemist | Sacramento, CA | 06/09/2025 | $75,000 |
| The Geneva Foundation | Research Chemist | Rockville, MD | 05/25/2025 | $110,000 |
| PPG | Research Chemist I | Burbank, CA | 05/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Frontage Laboratories | Research Chemist | Chicago, IL | 05/13/2025 | $60,000 |
| Amentum | Research Chemist | Bakersfield, CA | 05/10/2025 | $52,000 |
| Actalent | Research Chemist | Brea, CA | 04/19/2025 | $50,088 |
| Amentum | Research Chemist | Kernville, CA | 04/16/2025 | $52,000 |
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