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Quality assurance chemist salary
Average quality assurance chemist salary
$59,242
Understanding the Quality Assurance Chemist Salary
The Quality Assurance Chemist is integral to product development and safety, spanning sectors from pharmaceuticals to food production. As of October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $59,242, translating to approximately $28 per hour. Compensation varies significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and industry.
Where Quality Assurance Chemists Earn More
States like California and Massachusetts offer higher salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Cities such as San Francisco and Boston are known for the highest pay, with quality assurance roles often commanding upwards of $75,000 annually. Job seekers can enhance their prospects through specialized certifications and experience in regulatory compliance.
Job Opportunities and Career Growth
The field offers diverse job opportunities, including positions in laboratory management, regulatory affairs, and quality control. These roles not only provide competitive salaries but also a chance for career advancement in a growing industry focused on safety and innovation. Exploring job boards like Zippia can help find the right position that fits your skills and career goals.
Let Zippia find your next quality assurance chemist job
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Where can a Quality Assurance Chemist earn more?
Average quality assurance chemist salary by state
The highest-paying states for quality assurance chemists are Virginia, Delaware, and Vermont. The lowest average quality assurance chemist salary states are Nebraska, Arkansas, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for quality assurance chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $86,294 | $41.49 |
| 2 | Delaware | $80,462 | $38.68 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $74,569 | $35.85 |
| 4 | Vermont | $78,125 | $37.56 |
| 5 | Utah | $65,874 | $31.67 |
| 6 | Maryland | $72,610 | $34.91 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $68,601 | $32.98 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $69,883 | $33.60 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $69,027 | $33.19 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $77,956 | $37.48 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $67,558 | $32.48 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $64,307 | $30.92 |
| 13 | Washington | $68,316 | $32.84 |
| 14 | Ohio | $63,065 | $30.32 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $71,190 | $34.23 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $60,522 | $29.10 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $60,875 | $29.27 |
| 18 | Idaho | $65,177 | $31.34 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $60,029 | $28.86 |
| 20 | Iowa | $61,286 | $29.46 |
| 21 | California | $62,614 | $30.10 |
| 22 | Montana | $65,906 | $31.69 |
| 23 | Alaska | $70,135 | $33.72 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $60,936 | $29.30 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $61,926 | $29.77 |
| 26 | Oregon | $60,249 | $28.97 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $61,127 | $29.39 |
| 28 | Colorado | $62,618 | $30.10 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $56,818 | $27.32 |
| 30 | Kansas | $60,353 | $29.02 |
| 31 | Indiana | $54,331 | $26.12 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $57,663 | $27.72 |
| 33 | Missouri | $58,044 | $27.91 |
| 34 | Michigan | $55,761 | $26.81 |
| 35 | Texas | $56,740 | $27.28 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $54,134 | $26.03 |
| 37 | Georgia | $57,437 | $27.61 |
| 38 | New York | $56,772 | $27.29 |
| 39 | Illinois | $53,939 | $25.93 |
| 40 | Alabama | $53,560 | $25.75 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $53,155 | $25.56 |
| 42 | Nevada | $54,803 | $26.35 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $55,349 | $26.61 |
| 44 | Arizona | $50,974 | $24.51 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $50,475 | $24.27 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $53,467 | $25.71 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $49,925 | $24.00 |
| 48 | Maine | $46,510 | $22.36 |
| 49 | Florida | $47,756 | $22.96 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $47,150 | $22.67 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $43,204 | $20.77 |
Highest paying cities for quality assurance chemists
The highest-paying cities for quality assurance chemists are East Windsor, NJ, Salisbury, MD, and Tulsa, OK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Windsor, NJ | $74,707 | $35.92 |
| 2 | Salisbury, MD | $72,397 | $34.81 |
| 3 | Tulsa, OK | $71,272 | $34.27 |
| 4 | Knoxville, TN | $69,799 | $33.56 |
| 5 | Rancho Cordova, CA | $69,257 | $33.30 |
| 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | $65,873 | $31.67 |
| 7 | Plymouth, MN | $64,347 | $30.94 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $61,944 | $29.78 |
| 9 | Topeka, KS | $60,522 | $29.10 |
| 10 | Owensboro, KY | $59,600 | $28.65 |
| 11 | Saint Joseph, MO | $58,279 | $28.02 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $57,628 | $27.71 |
| 13 | Carrollton, TX | $57,619 | $27.70 |
| 14 | Central Islip, NY | $56,820 | $27.32 |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC | $56,302 | $27.07 |
| 16 | Westland, MI | $55,802 | $26.83 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $53,974 | $25.95 |
| 18 | Boca Raton, FL | $47,126 | $22.66 |
Quality assurance chemist salary details
A quality assurance chemist's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $82,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a quality assurance chemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| Average | $59,242 | $4,937 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
Highest paying quality assurance chemist jobs
The highest paying types of quality assurance chemists are senior research chemist, senior chemist, and research and development chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemist, Development | $71,571 | $5,964 | $34.41 | 57,547 |
| Environmental Chemist | $56,956 | $4,746 | $27.38 | 22,234 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
| Quality Laboratory Technician | $38,902 | $3,242 | $18.70 | 104,887 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
Top companies hiring quality assurance chemists now:
Which companies pay quality assurance chemists the most?
Quality assurance chemist salaries at Clariant and Colgate-Palmolive are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average quality assurance chemist salary at companies like The Coca-Cola Company and Bonita are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clariant | $86,456 | $41.57 |
| 2 | Colgate-Palmolive | $82,543 | $39.68 |
| 3 | The Coca-Cola Company | $75,758 | $36.42 |
| 4 | Bonita | $73,023 | $35.11 |
| 5 | Hospira | $65,233 | $31.36 |
| 6 | American Pacific Corporation | $65,164 | $31.33 |
| 7 | Kao Brands | $65,140 | $31.32 |
| 8 | Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. | $63,769 | $30.66 |
| 9 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. | $61,852 | $29.74 |
| 10 | GPAC | $61,449 | $29.54 |
| 11 | Pharmacare Hawaii | $60,677 | $29.17 |
| 12 | Mastercontrol, Inc. | $60,062 | $28.88 |
| 13 | TISHCON | $59,949 | $28.82 |
| 14 | Environmental Standards | $59,594 | $28.65 |
| 15 | Advanced Technology | $59,565 | $28.64 |
| 16 | T. Hasegawa USA | $59,550 | $28.63 |
| 17 | LNK International | $59,466 | $28.59 |
| 18 | Invagen Pharmaceuticals Inc. | $59,379 | $28.55 |
| 19 | Bactolac Pharmaceutical | $59,362 | $28.54 |
| 20 | Swedish Match North America Inc | $59,283 | $28.50 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Quality assurance chemist salary trends
The average quality assurance chemist salary has risen by $7,127 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average quality assurance chemist earned $52,115 annually, but today, they earn $59,242 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for quality assurance chemists over the last decade.
Compare quality assurance chemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average quality assurance chemist salary over time
Compare quality assurance chemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Quality assurance chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $59,200 | $28.48 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $58,000 | $27.88 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $57,400 | $27.62 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $55,800 | $26.84 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $55,100 | $26.48 | +3.4% |
Recently added quality assurance chemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global | QA Chemist I Cpg-Mfg | Corsicana, TX | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Environmental QA Chemist | Lowell, MA | 05/26/2025 | $46,821 |
| Montrose Environmental Group | Environmental Quality Assurance Chemist/Professional | Valley, PA | 05/25/2025 | $70,000 |
| Rm Lucas Co | Quality Chemist | Alsip, IL | 05/23/2025 | $60,210 |
| Global | QA Chemist I Cpg-Mfg | Corsicana, TX | 04/28/2025 | $58,436 |
| Kelly Services | QA Chemist | Winder, GA | 04/08/2025 | $50,088 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Environmental QA Chemist | Lowell, MA | 03/30/2025 | $46,821 |
| Global | QA Chemist I Cpg-Mfg | Corsicana, TX | 03/26/2025 | $58,436 |
| Tremco Illbruck | QA Chemist I Cpg-Mfg | Corsicana, TX | 03/22/2025 | $58,436 |
| Sciegen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | QA Chemist | Hauppauge, NY | 03/12/2025 | $85,000 |
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