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The average salary for a Process Development Chemist in the United States is approximately $75,273 per year, translating to about $36 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on several factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, chemists in pharmaceutical manufacturing often earn higher salaries compared to those in other sectors.
Salary differences can be notable across states. For example, states like California and New York typically offer higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Understanding these trends can help you target your job search effectively.
As industries continue to evolve, the demand for skilled Process Development Chemists is expected to grow. By staying informed about salary trends and the factors that influence compensation, you can position yourself strategically in the job market.
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The highest-paying states for process development chemists are Washington, Delaware, and Oklahoma. The lowest average process development chemist salary states are Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Maine.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $88,090 | $42.35 |
| 2 | Delaware | $99,871 | $48.01 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $90,622 | $43.57 |
| 4 | Washington | $106,241 | $51.08 |
| 5 | Missouri | $82,614 | $39.72 |
| 6 | Michigan | $78,585 | $37.78 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $96,110 | $46.21 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $77,038 | $37.04 |
| 9 | Ohio | $77,653 | $37.33 |
| 10 | Alaska | $80,422 | $38.66 |
| 11 | Utah | $81,289 | $39.08 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $82,410 | $39.62 |
| 13 | Vermont | $88,792 | $42.69 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $76,681 | $36.87 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $77,534 | $37.28 |
| 16 | Indiana | $75,201 | $36.15 |
| 17 | Kansas | $74,934 | $36.03 |
| 18 | Virginia | $81,383 | $39.13 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $75,408 | $36.25 |
| 20 | Idaho | $79,537 | $38.24 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $81,055 | $38.97 |
| 22 | Maryland | $82,789 | $39.80 |
| 23 | Georgia | $72,624 | $34.92 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $71,280 | $34.27 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $77,745 | $37.38 |
| 26 | Iowa | $73,975 | $35.56 |
| 27 | Montana | $78,530 | $37.75 |
| 28 | California | $77,859 | $37.43 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $66,630 | $32.03 |
| 30 | Alabama | $68,333 | $32.85 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $67,359 | $32.38 |
| 32 | Nevada | $69,189 | $33.26 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $67,043 | $32.23 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $63,743 | $30.65 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $67,775 | $32.58 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $62,947 | $30.26 |
| 37 | Oregon | $73,719 | $35.44 |
| 38 | New York | $74,748 | $35.94 |
| 39 | Arizona | $70,177 | $33.74 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $67,722 | $32.56 |
| 41 | Colorado | $74,422 | $35.78 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $58,985 | $28.36 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $60,875 | $29.27 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $59,375 | $28.55 |
| 45 | Texas | $69,157 | $33.25 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $69,186 | $33.26 |
| 47 | Illinois | $67,603 | $32.50 |
| 48 | Florida | $48,742 | $23.43 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $51,288 | $24.66 |
| 50 | Maine | $56,846 | $27.33 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $56,590 | $27.21 |
The highest-paying cities for process development chemists are South San Francisco, CA, Milford, MA, and Indianapolis, IN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco, CA | $86,035 | $41.36 |
| 2 | Milford, MA | $78,410 | $37.70 |
| 3 | Indianapolis, IN | $75,243 | $36.17 |
| 4 | Lafayette, CO | $74,227 | $35.69 |
A process development chemist's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| Average | $75,273 | $6,273 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
The highest paying types of process development chemists are senior research chemist, senior chemist, and analytical research chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Quality Assurance Chemist | $59,242 | $4,937 | $28.48 | 66,457 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Analytical Chemist | $61,573 | $5,131 | $29.60 | 14,661 |
| Laboratory Chemist | $62,702 | $5,225 | $30.15 | 41,322 |
| Analytical Research Chemist | $81,763 | $6,814 | $39.31 | 62,289 |
Top companies hiring process development chemists now:
Process development chemist salaries at PerkinElmer and Illumina are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average process development chemist salary at companies like Polysciences and Siemens Healthineers are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PerkinElmer | $94,658 | $45.51 |
| 2 | Illumina | $89,017 | $42.80 |
| 3 | Polysciences | $84,395 | $40.57 |
| 4 | Siemens Healthineers | $80,432 | $38.67 |
| 5 | Siemens | $76,757 | $36.90 |
| 6 | Polaris | $69,670 | $33.50 |
| 7 | Grifols | $67,967 | $32.68 |
| 8 | Ash Stevens | $66,408 | $31.93 |
The average process development chemist salary has risen by $9,056 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average process development chemist earned $66,217 annually, but today, they earn $75,273 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for process development chemists over the last decade.
Compare process development chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare process development chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $75,300 | $36.19 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $73,700 | $35.43 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $73,000 | $35.09 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $70,900 | $34.11 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $70,000 | $33.65 | +3.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICL | Process Development Chemist | Webster Groves, MO | 05/20/2025 | $76,000 |
| Israel Chemicals Ltd. | Process Development Chemist | Webster Groves, MO | 05/20/2025 | $76,000 |
| LGC Group | Process Development Chemist II | Petaluma, CA | 05/03/2025 | $69,000 |
| Grifols Sa | Associate Process Development Chemist-Manufacturing Support | San Diego, CA | 04/26/2025 | $72,002 |
| Dataannotation | Process Development Chemist-AI Trainer | Columbus, OH | 04/18/2025 | $83,480 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Peptide Process Development Chemist-Smdd | Indianapolis, IN | 03/30/2025 | $63,000 |
| Grifols Sa | Process Development Chemist | San Diego, CA | 03/28/2025 | $78,683 |
| Pisgah Laboratories, Inc. | R&D Process Development Chemist | North Carolina | 03/05/2025 | $80,000 |
| Pisgah Laboratories, Inc. | R&D Process Development Chemist | North Carolina | 03/05/2025 | $89,500 |
| General Biological | Process Development Chemist | Boston, MA | 02/19/2025 | $90,000 |
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