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Best states for a staff chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for staff chemists in the United States. Staff chemist positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for staff chemists.Our research shows that Rhode Island is the best state in the country for staff chemists.
In order to get you the best states for staff chemists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for staff chemists, and the Northeast is the worst. Berkeley, CA is the best city in the country for staff chemist jobs, where as Rhode Island is the best state in the country.
10 best states for staff chemists in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total staff chemist jobs: 101 Average annual salary: $90,342 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. District of Columbia
Total staff chemist jobs: 155 Average annual salary: $104,154 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
3. Washington
Total staff chemist jobs: 639 Average annual salary: $92,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
4. Delaware
Total staff chemist jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $109,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
5. Vermont
Total staff chemist jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $87,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
6. New Jersey
Total staff chemist jobs: 599 Average annual salary: $91,420 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
7. Tennessee
Total staff chemist jobs: 377 Average annual salary: $89,753 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
8. New York
Total staff chemist jobs: 976 Average annual salary: $88,415 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
9. Connecticut
Total staff chemist jobs: 270 Average annual salary: $85,280 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
10. Oklahoma
Total staff chemist jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $90,400 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
Staff chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $90,342 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 101 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $104,154 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 155 |
| 3 | Washington | $92,447 | $56,000 | 7,405,743 | 639 |
| 4 | Delaware | $109,166 | $69,000 | 961,939 | 85 |
| 5 | Vermont | $87,273 | $55,000 | 623,657 | 62 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $91,420 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 599 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $89,753 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 377 |
| 8 | New York | $88,415 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 976 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $85,280 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 270 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $90,400 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 152 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $82,392 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,052 |
| 12 | Ohio | $82,566 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 696 |
| 13 | Maryland | $89,816 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 423 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $82,029 | $51,000 | 1,815,857 | 93 |
| 15 | Virginia | $88,017 | $55,000 | 8,470,020 | 574 |
| 16 | Michigan | $83,567 | $52,000 | 9,962,311 | 422 |
| 17 | Indiana | $78,722 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 454 |
| 18 | Missouri | $81,652 | $51,000 | 6,113,532 | 389 |
| 19 | Texas | $78,066 | $47,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,523 |
| 20 | Utah | $75,877 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 240 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $81,235 | $49,000 | 2,088,070 | 98 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $78,225 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 203 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $80,692 | $50,000 | 5,024,369 | 217 |
| 24 | Nevada | $74,412 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 160 |
| 25 | California | $89,993 | $54,000 | 39,536,653 | 180 |
| 26 | Iowa | $75,094 | $46,000 | 3,145,711 | 237 |
| 27 | Alabama | $69,465 | $42,000 | 4,874,747 | 362 |
| 28 | Illinois | $70,746 | $44,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,175 |
| 29 | Georgia | $74,314 | $46,000 | 10,429,379 | 762 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $66,465 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,141 |
| 31 | Kansas | $72,413 | $45,000 | 2,913,123 | 197 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $74,748 | $48,000 | 1,342,795 | 106 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $69,947 | $42,000 | 4,684,333 | 227 |
| 34 | Arizona | $68,665 | $41,000 | 7,016,270 | 460 |
| 35 | Oregon | $68,636 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 320 |
| 36 | Colorado | $68,122 | $43,000 | 5,607,154 | 451 |
| 37 | Idaho | $70,133 | $42,000 | 1,716,943 | 101 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $63,447 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 205 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $56,805 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 66 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $69,671 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 75 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $65,045 | $40,000 | 5,795,483 | 370 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $66,169 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 425 |
| 43 | Florida | $55,172 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,180 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $65,466 | $41,000 | 10,273,419 | 506 |
| 45 | Alaska | $60,484 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 32 |
| 46 | Maine | $51,870 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 99 |
| 47 | Montana | $64,065 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 62 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $57,988 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 113 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $58,810 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 23 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $48,452 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 32 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $48,053 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 24 |
Highest paying states for staff chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $90,342 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $104,154 |
| 3 | Washington | $92,447 |
| 4 | Delaware | $109,166 |
| 5 | Vermont | $87,273 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $91,420 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $89,753 |
| 8 | New York | $88,415 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $85,280 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $90,400 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $82,392 |
| 12 | Ohio | $82,566 |
| 13 | Maryland | $89,816 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $82,029 |
| 15 | Virginia | $88,017 |
| 16 | Michigan | $83,567 |
| 17 | Indiana | $78,722 |
| 18 | Missouri | $81,652 |
| 19 | Texas | $78,066 |
| 20 | Utah | $75,877 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $81,235 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $78,225 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $80,692 |
| 24 | Nevada | $74,412 |
| 25 | California | $89,993 |
| 26 | Iowa | $75,094 |
| 27 | Alabama | $69,465 |
| 28 | Illinois | $70,746 |
| 29 | Georgia | $74,314 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $66,465 |
| 31 | Kansas | $72,413 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $74,748 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $69,947 |
| 34 | Arizona | $68,665 |
| 35 | Oregon | $68,636 |
| 36 | Colorado | $68,122 |
| 37 | Idaho | $70,133 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $63,447 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $56,805 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $69,671 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $65,045 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $66,169 |
| 43 | Florida | $55,172 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $65,466 |
| 45 | Alaska | $60,484 |
| 46 | Maine | $51,870 |
| 47 | Montana | $64,065 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $57,988 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $58,810 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $48,452 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $48,053 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff 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