Post job

Formulation chemist salary

Average formulation chemist salary

$66,678

$32.06 hourly rate

Entry-level formulation chemist salary
$46,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Formulation Chemist Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Formulation Chemist is approximately $66,678 per year, equating to about $32 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and industry sector. For example, Formulation Chemists in high-demand states often earn more than those in regions with lower demand.

Salary by State

The salary for Formulation Chemists can differ widely among states. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher wages due to a higher cost of living and greater demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Career Opportunities

With a focus on product development, there are numerous opportunities for advancement in this field. Positions often lead to roles in management or specialized research, offering potential salary increases as experience grows. Understanding these dynamics can help you navigate your career path effectively.

On this page
Formulation chemist salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next formulation chemist job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next formulation chemist job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Formulation Chemist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
107k
87k
67k
47k
27k
Columbus, OH$85,146
Chicago, IL$57,489
Compare salary by company
Vs
134k
114k
94k
74k
54k
34k
Apple$112,305
Vestaron$63,716

Formulation chemist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a formulation chemist typically falls between $56,836 and $130,767.
zippia
$66,678yearly
glassdoor[1]
$79,230yearly
comparably[2]
$130,767yearly
Salary.com[3]
$103,270yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$87,733yearly
payscale[5]
$56,836yearly

Average formulation chemist salary by state

The highest-paying states for formulation chemists are Washington, Maryland, and Delaware. The lowest average formulation chemist salary states are Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for formulation chemists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Delaware$82,948$39.88
2Maryland$85,159$40.94
3Washington$93,503$44.95
4Tennessee$79,621$38.28
5Missouri$74,236$35.69
6New Jersey$75,782$36.43
7Texas$75,684$36.39
8Vermont$79,660$38.30
9Rhode Island$72,847$35.02
10Utah$73,106$35.15
11District of Columbia$87,994$42.30
12Oklahoma$81,559$39.21
13Massachusetts$72,190$34.71
14Ohio$70,135$33.72
15New Mexico$69,678$33.50
16California$73,061$35.13
17Virginia$74,514$35.82
18South Carolina$70,682$33.98
19Minnesota$70,329$33.81
20Idaho$70,629$33.96
21Iowa$66,726$32.08
22Kentucky$68,435$32.90
23West Virginia$70,471$33.88
24Indiana$66,923$32.17
25Montana$70,345$33.82
26Connecticut$68,802$33.08
27North Carolina$65,633$31.55
28Kansas$67,196$32.31
29Oregon$65,308$31.40
30New Hampshire$62,785$30.19
31Alaska$71,986$34.61
32Georgia$68,029$32.71
33Colorado$67,579$32.49
34Pennsylvania$59,065$28.40
35Michigan$62,222$29.91
36North Dakota$60,070$28.88
37Wisconsin$56,987$27.40
38Alabama$62,054$29.83
39New York$60,070$28.88
40Illinois$57,239$27.52
41Arkansas$57,535$27.66
42Nevada$62,148$29.88
43Louisiana$61,364$29.50
44Mississippi$61,464$29.55
45Florida$58,826$28.28
46Hawaii$60,254$28.97
47Arizona$58,310$28.03
48Nebraska$54,804$26.35
49Maine$47,294$22.74
50South Dakota$46,169$22.20
51Wyoming$51,040$24.54

Highest paying cities for formulation chemists

The highest-paying cities for formulation chemists are Frederick, MD, Menlo Park, CA, and Smyrna, TN.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Frederick, MD$85,146$40.94
2Menlo Park, CA$79,848$38.39
3Smyrna, TN$79,739$38.34
4Fort Worth, TX$77,206$37.12
5Pennsauken, NJ$76,696$36.87
6Saint Louis, MO$74,839$35.98
7Billerica, MA$71,378$34.32
8Trumbull, CT$69,224$33.28
9Boulder, CO$67,569$32.49
10Lawrence, KS$67,158$32.29
11Indianapolis, IN$66,992$32.21
12Durham, NC$66,080$31.77
13Ann Arbor, MI$62,494$30.05
14New York, NY$60,450$29.06
15Reading, PA$59,180$28.45
16Phoenix, AZ$58,506$28.13
17Chicago, IL$57,489$27.64

Formulation chemist salary details

A formulation chemist's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $94,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average formulation chemist salary graph
Average formulation chemist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a formulation chemist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$94,000$7,833$45
75th Percentile$80,000$6,667$38
Average$66,678$5,557$32
25th Percentile$55,000$4,583$26
10th Percentile$46,000$3,833$22

Highest paying formulation chemist jobs

The highest paying types of formulation chemists are senior scientist, scientist, and senior chemist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Postdoctoral Scholar$57,587$4,799$27.6918,983
Quality Control Coordinator$49,894$4,158$23.9988,145
Chemical Technician$42,584$3,549$20.4740,191
Research Scientist$89,998$7,500$43.2793,013
Scientist$97,344$8,112$46.8062,467
Research And Development Scientist$90,278$7,523$43.40129,803

Top companies hiring formulation chemists now:

  1. BASF jobs (5)
  2. FMC jobs (8)
  3. PPG jobs (7)
  4. Thermo Fisher Scientific jobs (3)
  5. Syngenta jobs (6)

Which companies pay formulation chemists the most?

Formulation chemist salaries at Apple and Amyris are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average formulation chemist salary at companies like FMC and Ingredion are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Apple$112,305$53.99
2Amyris$91,982$44.22
3FMC$89,174$42.87
4Ingredion$88,224$42.42
5Medline$79,851$38.39
6Vi-Jon$72,533$34.87
7PROSOCO$71,437$34.34
8SRI International$70,555$33.92
9Aerotek$70,338$33.82
10Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.$70,189$33.74
11Central Garden & Pet$67,255$32.33
12Authentix$66,977$32.20
13Diversey$66,559$32.00
14Kelly Services$66,355$31.90
15Techtronic Industries TTI$64,354$30.94
16Tergus Pharma$64,279$30.90
17Materia$64,112$30.82
18UTEX Industries$64,079$30.81
19Monsanto$63,733$30.64
20Vestaron$63,716$30.63

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$67,000$66,600$66,200$65,800$65,400$65,000
MaleFemale

Formulation chemist salary trends

The average formulation chemist salary has risen by $8,021 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average formulation chemist earned $58,657 annually, but today, they earn $66,678 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for formulation chemists over the last decade.

Compare formulation chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average formulation chemist salary over time

Compare formulation chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Formulation chemist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$66,700$32.06+2.1%
2025$65,300$31.38+1.0%
2024$64,700$31.08+2.8%
2023$62,800$30.21+1.3%
2022$62,000$29.81+3.4%

Recently added formulation chemist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
ActalentFormulation ChemistGreensboro, NC06/29/2025$70,000
Global Channel Management, Inc.Formulation ChemistDarien, CT06/26/2025$79,306
ActalentFormulation ChemistGreen Bay, WI06/25/2025$83,480
Ardex Laboratories, Inc.Formulation ChemistPhiladelphia, PA06/12/2025$100,000
Manufacturing CoFormulation Chemist (Skincare & Cosmetics)Corona, CA06/11/2025$55,000
Research & Diagnostic SystemsManufacturing Chemist-FormulationDevens, MA06/09/2025$48,418
Manufacturing CoFormulation Chemist (Skincare & Cosmetics)Corona, CA05/29/2025$55,000
Ardex Laboratories, Inc.Formulation ChemistPhiladelphia, PA05/28/2025$100,000
ActalentFormulations ChemistWestlake, OH05/28/2025$62,610
Bella PhytologicSenior Formulation ChemistSanta Rosa, CA05/25/2025$87,897

Formulation chemist salary FAQs

Search for formulation chemist jobs

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs