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Best states for a senior chemical engineer
Quoted expert
Kristine Horvat Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Senior chemical engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for senior chemical engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for senior chemical engineers.We wanted to look at the best states for senior chemical engineers -- where there are plenty of senior chemical engineer jobs to go around and senior chemical engineers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
The median salary for senior chemical engineers in New Mexico is $123,003. Compare that to the median salary in Kansas of $73,456, which ranked worst for senior chemical engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.New Mexico is the best state, and Farmington is the city with the highest pay for senior chemical engineers.
10 best states for senior chemical engineers in 2025
1. New Mexico
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 141 Average annual salary: $123,003 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
2. Texas
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 1,414 Average annual salary: $121,753 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
3. District of Columbia
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $109,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 2
4. Nebraska
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 146 Average annual salary: $106,765 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
5. California
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 4,529 Average annual salary: $107,691 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.9
6. Minnesota
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 554 Average annual salary: $100,455 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
7. Virginia
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 1,068 Average annual salary: $102,063 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
8. Missouri
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 286 Average annual salary: $115,106 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
9. Oklahoma
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 114 Average annual salary: $121,254 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.45
10. Massachusetts
Total senior chemical engineer jobs: 923 Average annual salary: $100,147 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
Senior chemical engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior chemical engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior chemical engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $123,003 | $91,000 | 2,088,070 | 141 |
| 2 | Texas | $121,753 | $92,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,414 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,168 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 274 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $106,765 | $79,000 | 1,920,076 | 146 |
| 5 | California | $107,691 | $80,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,529 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $100,455 | $75,000 | 5,576,606 | 554 |
| 7 | Virginia | $102,063 | $76,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,068 |
| 8 | Missouri | $115,106 | $86,000 | 6,113,532 | 286 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $121,254 | $90,000 | 3,930,864 | 114 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $100,147 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 923 |
| 11 | Alabama | $96,483 | $73,000 | 4,874,747 | 366 |
| 12 | Vermont | $98,594 | $72,000 | 623,657 | 68 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $108,450 | $82,000 | 4,684,333 | 123 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $97,080 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 701 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $98,888 | $75,000 | 755,393 | 54 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $108,838 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 409 |
| 17 | Iowa | $100,554 | $75,000 | 3,145,711 | 178 |
| 18 | Washington | $97,367 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 882 |
| 19 | Oregon | $96,168 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 512 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $100,601 | $75,000 | 6,715,984 | 279 |
| 21 | Georgia | $97,591 | $74,000 | 10,429,379 | 607 |
| 22 | Maryland | $97,493 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 604 |
| 23 | Michigan | $91,589 | $68,000 | 9,962,311 | 653 |
| 24 | Indiana | $93,812 | $70,000 | 6,666,818 | 429 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $94,240 | $71,000 | 5,024,369 | 308 |
| 26 | Arizona | $92,345 | $69,000 | 7,016,270 | 611 |
| 27 | Idaho | $94,614 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 105 |
| 28 | Ohio | $89,869 | $67,000 | 11,658,609 | 644 |
| 29 | Montana | $93,981 | $70,000 | 1,050,493 | 57 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $86,400 | $64,000 | 1,815,857 | 105 |
| 31 | Maine | $92,334 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 69 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $90,502 | $67,000 | 4,454,189 | 175 |
| 33 | New York | $90,296 | $67,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,020 |
| 34 | Illinois | $90,498 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 760 |
| 35 | Colorado | $86,154 | $64,000 | 5,607,154 | 614 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $86,664 | $65,000 | 3,004,279 | 163 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $87,086 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 359 |
| 38 | Utah | $83,720 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 297 |
| 39 | Delaware | $80,222 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 158 |
| 40 | Nevada | $86,405 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 117 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $93,162 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 38 |
| 42 | Florida | $87,311 | $67,000 | 20,984,400 | 826 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $78,019 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 46 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $85,259 | $63,000 | 869,666 | 49 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $82,743 | $62,000 | 2,984,100 | 121 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $80,267 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 81 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $68,226 | $50,000 | 1,342,795 | 165 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $80,253 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 673 |
| 49 | Alaska | $81,811 | $66,000 | 739,795 | 45 |
| 50 | Connecticut | $74,015 | $55,000 | 3,588,184 | 232 |
| 51 | Kansas | $73,456 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 131 |
Highest paying states for senior chemical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Chemical Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $123,003 |
| 2 | Texas | $121,753 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,168 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $106,765 |
| 5 | California | $107,691 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $100,455 |
| 7 | Virginia | $102,063 |
| 8 | Missouri | $115,106 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $121,254 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $100,147 |
| 11 | Alabama | $96,483 |
| 12 | Vermont | $98,594 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $108,450 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $97,080 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $98,888 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $108,838 |
| 17 | Iowa | $100,554 |
| 18 | Washington | $97,367 |
| 19 | Oregon | $96,168 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $100,601 |
| 21 | Georgia | $97,591 |
| 22 | Maryland | $97,493 |
| 23 | Michigan | $91,589 |
| 24 | Indiana | $93,812 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $94,240 |
| 26 | Arizona | $92,345 |
| 27 | Idaho | $94,614 |
| 28 | Ohio | $89,869 |
| 29 | Montana | $93,981 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $86,400 |
| 31 | Maine | $92,334 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $90,502 |
| 33 | New York | $90,296 |
| 34 | Illinois | $90,498 |
| 35 | Colorado | $86,154 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $86,664 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $87,086 |
| 38 | Utah | $83,720 |
| 39 | Delaware | $80,222 |
| 40 | Nevada | $86,405 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $93,162 |
| 42 | Florida | $87,311 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $78,019 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $85,259 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $82,743 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $80,267 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $68,226 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $80,253 |
| 49 | Alaska | $81,811 |
| 50 | Connecticut | $74,015 |
| 51 | Kansas | $73,456 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior chemical engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior chemical engineers to find work opportunities?
Kristine Horvat Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of New Haven
One of the best parts of being a chemical engineer is that you can work in a large variety of fields. Most industries, including fuels, food, consumer products, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, electronics, environmental service, and general chemicals, need chemical engineers. As a result, there are many locations all over the U.S., where graduates can find jobs.
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Updated January 8, 2025