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Best states for a senior chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and life, physical, and social science careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to senior chemist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for senior chemists.In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior chemists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior chemist jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for senior chemists.Delaware is the best state, and Burlington is the city with the highest pay for senior chemists.
10 best states for senior chemists in 2025
1. Delaware
Total senior chemist jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $107,117 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. Vermont
Total senior chemist jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $112,967 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
3. Massachusetts
Total senior chemist jobs: 1,033 Average annual salary: $102,285 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 3.44
4. Rhode Island
Total senior chemist jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $99,900 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. Virginia
Total senior chemist jobs: 190 Average annual salary: $108,232 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
6. District of Columbia
Total senior chemist jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $112,642 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
7. Washington
Total senior chemist jobs: 369 Average annual salary: $98,088 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
8. Tennessee
Total senior chemist jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $104,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0.46
9. Texas
Total senior chemist jobs: 357 Average annual salary: $100,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
10. Maryland
Total senior chemist jobs: 411 Average annual salary: $97,369 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
Senior chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $107,117 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 57 |
| 2 | Vermont | $112,967 | $84,000 | 623,657 | 18 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $102,285 | $76,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,033 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $99,900 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 36 |
| 5 | Virginia | $108,232 | $80,000 | 8,470,020 | 190 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $112,642 | $83,000 | 693,972 | 47 |
| 7 | Washington | $98,088 | $71,000 | 7,405,743 | 369 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $104,456 | $77,000 | 6,715,984 | 88 |
| 9 | Texas | $100,128 | $71,000 | 28,304,596 | 357 |
| 10 | Maryland | $97,369 | $72,000 | 6,052,177 | 411 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $92,695 | $66,000 | 2,088,070 | 61 |
| 12 | California | $98,070 | $67,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,894 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $93,368 | $69,000 | 9,005,644 | 473 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $93,754 | $69,000 | 5,576,606 | 170 |
| 15 | Georgia | $96,786 | $71,000 | 10,429,379 | 150 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $88,903 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $89,883 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 69 |
| 18 | Montana | $93,264 | $69,000 | 1,050,493 | 19 |
| 19 | Idaho | $91,084 | $66,000 | 1,716,943 | 24 |
| 20 | Iowa | $86,913 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 98 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $88,615 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 139 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $89,595 | $66,000 | 1,815,857 | 19 |
| 23 | Michigan | $87,774 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 137 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $92,407 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 23 |
| 25 | Missouri | $85,494 | $63,000 | 6,113,532 | 201 |
| 26 | Oregon | $84,771 | $60,000 | 4,142,776 | 172 |
| 27 | Alaska | $93,032 | $79,000 | 739,795 | 10 |
| 28 | Illinois | $84,640 | $62,000 | 12,802,023 | 336 |
| 29 | Indiana | $83,489 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 142 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $82,340 | $62,000 | 755,393 | 24 |
| 31 | Kansas | $85,681 | $63,000 | 2,913,123 | 43 |
| 32 | New York | $83,489 | $62,000 | 19,849,399 | 451 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $77,022 | $57,000 | 5,795,483 | 199 |
| 34 | Nevada | $85,161 | $59,000 | 2,998,039 | 21 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $75,011 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 548 |
| 36 | Colorado | $85,371 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 87 |
| 37 | Ohio | $77,844 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 213 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $82,151 | $59,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $74,381 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 332 |
| 40 | Utah | $76,476 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 75 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $80,406 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 23 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $84,381 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 11 |
| 43 | Maine | $74,084 | $56,000 | 1,335,907 | 31 |
| 44 | Alabama | $78,458 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 41 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,178 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 50 |
| 46 | Arizona | $78,765 | $55,000 | 7,016,270 | 76 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $65,116 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 10 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $71,327 | $52,000 | 5,024,369 | 62 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,923 | $52,000 | 1,920,076 | 26 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $61,435 | $45,000 | 869,666 | 15 |
| 51 | Florida | $62,596 | $44,000 | 20,984,400 | 183 |
Highest paying states for senior chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $107,117 |
| 2 | Vermont | $112,967 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $102,285 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $99,900 |
| 5 | Virginia | $108,232 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $112,642 |
| 7 | Washington | $98,088 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $104,456 |
| 9 | Texas | $100,128 |
| 10 | Maryland | $97,369 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $92,695 |
| 12 | California | $98,070 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $93,368 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $93,754 |
| 15 | Georgia | $96,786 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $88,903 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $89,883 |
| 18 | Montana | $93,264 |
| 19 | Idaho | $91,084 |
| 20 | Iowa | $86,913 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $88,615 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $89,595 |
| 23 | Michigan | $87,774 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $92,407 |
| 25 | Missouri | $85,494 |
| 26 | Oregon | $84,771 |
| 27 | Alaska | $93,032 |
| 28 | Illinois | $84,640 |
| 29 | Indiana | $83,489 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $82,340 |
| 31 | Kansas | $85,681 |
| 32 | New York | $83,489 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $77,022 |
| 34 | Nevada | $85,161 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $75,011 |
| 36 | Colorado | $85,371 |
| 37 | Ohio | $77,844 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $82,151 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $74,381 |
| 40 | Utah | $76,476 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $80,406 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $84,381 |
| 43 | Maine | $74,084 |
| 44 | Alabama | $78,458 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,178 |
| 46 | Arizona | $78,765 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $65,116 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $71,327 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,923 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $61,435 |
| 51 | Florida | $62,596 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry, University of South Florida
One of the great things about chemistry is that there are so many areas for our graduates to work, whether in health care, quality control, energy, defense, or elsewhere. Each of these areas is well represented geographically, with specific concentrations for each. Much of the energy research is based in Texas and Oklahoma. Defense research is often proximal to bases. Healthcare research has hubs in the northeast (primarily Boston) and west coast (mainly the Bay area). Quality control is often wherever manufacturing is taking place. We're fortunate that many of these opportunities are present in the Tampa area, with solar energy, MacDill, biotech companies, and manufacturers like Yuengling and Coca Cola, nearby.
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Updated January 8, 2025