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Laboratory Chemist salary
Average laboratory chemist salary
$62,702
How much does a laboratory chemist make?
The average laboratory chemist salary in the United States is $62,702. Laboratory chemist salaries typically range between $45,000 and $86,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for laboratory chemists is $30.15 per hour.
Laboratory chemist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Laboratory chemists earn the highest average salary in Virginia.
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Where can a Laboratory Chemist earn more?
Laboratory Chemist salary estimates from across the web
Average laboratory chemist salary by state
The highest-paying states for laboratory chemists are Virginia, Vermont, and Delaware. The lowest average laboratory chemist salary states are Oregon, Arkansas, and Florida.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for laboratory chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $84,204 | $40.48 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $75,837 | $36.46 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $75,908 | $36.49 |
| 4 | Maryland | $75,379 | $36.24 |
| 5 | Delaware | $84,144 | $40.45 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $65,907 | $31.69 |
| 7 | California | $69,645 | $33.48 |
| 8 | Virginia | $89,280 | $42.92 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $71,630 | $34.44 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $68,282 | $32.83 |
| 11 | Ohio | $63,989 | $30.76 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $73,590 | $35.38 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $59,634 | $28.67 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $61,571 | $29.60 |
| 15 | Iowa | $59,096 | $28.41 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $80,843 | $38.87 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $63,156 | $30.36 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $69,294 | $33.31 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $59,654 | $28.68 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $59,924 | $28.81 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $56,555 | $27.19 |
| 22 | New York | $59,867 | $28.78 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $60,850 | $29.25 |
| 24 | Kansas | $58,114 | $27.94 |
| 25 | Texas | $59,991 | $28.84 |
| 26 | Michigan | $56,438 | $27.13 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $57,581 | $27.68 |
| 28 | Utah | $57,378 | $27.59 |
| 29 | Washington | $55,888 | $26.87 |
| 30 | Montana | $56,454 | $27.14 |
| 31 | Missouri | $56,371 | $27.10 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $52,841 | $25.40 |
| 33 | Idaho | $54,202 | $26.06 |
| 34 | Colorado | $58,314 | $28.04 |
| 35 | Indiana | $54,360 | $26.13 |
| 36 | Georgia | $57,000 | $27.40 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $57,950 | $27.86 |
| 38 | Maine | $50,835 | $24.44 |
| 39 | Alaska | $52,155 | $25.07 |
| 40 | Illinois | $53,623 | $25.78 |
| 41 | Alabama | $52,987 | $25.47 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $53,628 | $25.78 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $48,830 | $23.48 |
| 44 | Oregon | $50,134 | $24.10 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $40,386 | $19.42 |
| 46 | Arizona | $50,419 | $24.24 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $52,545 | $25.26 |
| 48 | Nevada | $50,819 | $24.43 |
| 49 | Florida | $48,313 | $23.23 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $47,763 | $22.96 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $42,354 | $20.36 |
Highest paying cities for laboratory chemists
The highest-paying cities for laboratory chemists are Nutley, NJ, Boston, MA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nutley, NJ | $76,097 | $36.59 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $75,850 | $36.47 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $74,302 | $35.72 |
| 4 | Providence, RI | $73,660 | $35.41 |
| 5 | Windsor, CT | $71,410 | $34.33 |
| 6 | Bloomington, MN | $61,585 | $29.61 |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | $60,393 | $29.04 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $59,998 | $28.85 |
| 9 | West Allis, WI | $59,891 | $28.79 |
| 10 | Winston-Salem, NC | $57,754 | $27.77 |
| 11 | Murray, UT | $57,250 | $27.52 |
| 12 | Lancaster, PA | $56,436 | $27.13 |
| 13 | Anderson, IN | $54,605 | $26.25 |
| 14 | Elk Grove Village, IL | $53,677 | $25.81 |
| 15 | Shreveport, LA | $53,503 | $25.72 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $50,515 | $24.29 |
| 17 | Riviera Beach, FL | $48,117 | $23.13 |
Laboratory Chemist salary details
A laboratory chemist's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a laboratory chemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| Average | $62,702 | $5,225 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying laboratory chemist jobs
The highest paying types of laboratory chemists are senior chemist, research and development chemist, and research chemist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| 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 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
Top companies hiring laboratory chemists now:
Which companies pay laboratory chemists the most?
Laboratory chemist salaries at BASF and Vertex Pharmaceuticals are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average laboratory chemist salary at companies like Harsco and Tyson Foods are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BASF | $89,315 | $42.94 |
| 2 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $83,894 | $40.33 |
| 3 | Harsco | $79,054 | $38.01 |
| 4 | Tyson Foods | $75,852 | $36.47 |
| 5 | The Travelers Companies | $67,082 | $32.25 |
| 6 | Shiseido | $63,819 | $30.68 |
| 7 | Electronic Interconnect Corp. | $61,025 | $29.34 |
| 8 | Prime Healthcare | $60,589 | $29.13 |
| 9 | San Antonio Water System | $60,552 | $29.11 |
| 10 | Michelin | $60,120 | $28.90 |
| 11 | Eurofins | $60,118 | $28.90 |
| 12 | University of California | $60,092 | $28.89 |
| 13 | US Ecology | $60,037 | $28.86 |
| 14 | Intertek USA, Inc. | $59,966 | $28.83 |
| 15 | The Independent Traveler | $59,963 | $28.83 |
| 16 | Noah & Co. | $59,937 | $28.82 |
| 17 | Goodyear | $59,882 | $28.79 |
| 18 | AmSpec Group | $59,811 | $28.76 |
| 19 | CHRISTUS Health | $59,642 | $28.67 |
| 20 | Bluestar Us | $58,920 | $28.33 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Laboratory Chemist salary by industry
The average laboratory chemist salary varies across industries:
- The average laboratory chemist salary in the manufacturing industry is $80,689, the highest of any industry.
- The average laboratory chemist salary in the finance industry is $75,187.
- Laboratory chemists in the internet industry earn an average salary of $60,012, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for laboratory chemists
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $80,689 | $38.79 |
| 2 | Utilities | $75,187 | $36.15 |
| 3 | Technology | $72,687 | $34.95 |
| 4 | Energy | $64,887 | $31.20 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical | $61,997 | $29.81 |
| 6 | Health Care | $61,480 | $29.56 |
| 7 | Internet | $60,012 | $28.85 |
High Paying Laboratory Chemist Jobs
Laboratory Chemist salary trends
The average laboratory chemist salary has risen by $7,543 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average laboratory chemist earned $55,159 annually, but today, they earn $62,702 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for laboratory chemists over the last decade.
Compare laboratory chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average laboratory chemist salary over time
Compare laboratory chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Laboratory Chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,700 | $30.15 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $61,400 | $29.51 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $60,800 | $29.23 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $59,100 | $28.41 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $58,300 | $28.03 | +3.4% |
Recently added laboratory chemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Co | SR Lab Pack Chemist SR Lab Pack Chemist | Los Altos, CA | 12/15/2024 | $79,306 |
| Actalent | Lab Pack Chemist | Hatfield, PA | 12/12/2024 | $45,914 |
| Actalent | In Plant Lab Chemist | Kalamazoo, MI | 12/12/2024 | $45,914 |
| PTS Advance | Laboratory Chemist | Martinez, CA | 12/11/2024 | $73,045 |
| Enviri Corp | Senior Lab Pack Chemist | San Jose, CA | 12/11/2024 | $79,306 |
| THG | Chemist | Bentley Labs | Edison, NJ | 12/09/2024 | $60,000 |
| Thg Labs | Chemist | Bentley Labs | Downe, NJ | 12/08/2024 | $60,000 |
| Techlaw Consultants and Subsidiaries | Senior Lab Chemist (Techlaw) | Edison, NJ | 12/05/2024 | $85,000 |
| Clean Harbors | Lab Chemist-I-IV | Scottsbluff, NE | 12/04/2024 | $51,132 |
| UCLA Health | Assay Chemist, Olympic Lab | Los Angeles, CA | 12/04/2024 | $60,273 |
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