Chemists pay in the U.S.
$100,450avg. a year
$48.29 an hour · 82,770 employed
Chemists in the U.S. earn an average of $100,450 a year and a median of $91,240. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($148,840) and lowest in Maine ($70,750).
$91,240Median pay
$48.29Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
82,770Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for chemists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1280 jobs
District of Columbia
$148,840
$71.56 an hour
22,480 jobs
Maryland
$139,100
$66.87 an hour
33,430 jobs
Massachusetts
$128,930
$61.99 an hour
4280 jobs
New Mexico
$128,630
$61.84 an hour
51,200 jobs
Delaware
$122,170
$58.74 an hour
6730 jobs
Oregon
$111,320
$53.52 an hour
75,130 jobs
Texas
$106,830
$51.36 an hour
89,820 jobs
California
$106,810
$51.35 an hour
9740 jobs
Louisiana
$106,810
$51.35 an hour
101,790 jobs
Colorado
$106,480
$51.19 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chemists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $88k$88k–$94k$94k–$104k$104k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $144,550 | $69.50 |
| Bay City, MI | $139,910 | $67.26 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,870 | $62.92 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $130,520 | $62.75 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $127,290 | $61.20 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $126,650 | $60.89 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $122,210 | $58.76 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $121,890 | $58.60 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Chemists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $101,710 | $97,830 | 700 |
| Alaska | $104,520 | $106,010 | 60 |
| Arizona | $92,120 | $81,730 | 870 |
| Arkansas | $86,800 | $75,570 | 380 |
| California | $106,810 | $97,860 | 9,820 |
| Colorado | $106,480 | $101,980 | 1,790 |
| Connecticut | $104,030 | $98,140 | 1,170 |
| Delaware | $122,170 | $129,860 | 1,200 |
| District of Columbia | $148,840 | $149,860 | 280 |
| Florida | $91,600 | $82,740 | 1,490 |
| Georgia | $96,910 | $92,750 | 1,260 |
| Hawaii | $90,030 | $84,150 | 140 |
| Idaho | $86,120 | $78,000 | 320 |
| Illinois | $98,420 | $85,230 | 3,040 |
| Indiana | $88,080 | $78,770 | 2,480 |
| Iowa | $94,080 | $86,100 | 570 |
| Kansas | $88,190 | $82,820 | 690 |
| Kentucky | $86,740 | $84,090 | 530 |
| Louisiana | $106,810 | $103,890 | 740 |
| Maine | $70,750 | $64,440 | 140 |
| Maryland | $139,100 | $140,670 | 2,480 |
| Massachusetts | $128,930 | $125,000 | 3,430 |
| Michigan | $101,210 | $97,440 | 3,490 |
| Minnesota | $102,390 | $99,280 | 1,680 |
| Mississippi | $87,580 | $80,060 | 200 |
| Missouri | $92,000 | $82,800 | 1,640 |
| Montana | $71,860 | $61,890 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $84,560 | $74,890 | 350 |
| Nevada | $86,700 | $81,170 | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $99,570 | $100,050 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $96,980 | $84,450 | 5,280 |
| New Mexico | $128,630 | $126,960 | 280 |
| New York | $100,920 | $90,600 | 4,230 |
| North Carolina | $90,800 | $82,620 | 4,530 |
| North Dakota | $94,470 | $97,330 | 160 |
| Ohio | $94,470 | $85,270 | 4,010 |
| Oklahoma | $81,250 | $74,960 | 630 |
| Oregon | $111,320 | $104,590 | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,990 | $77,090 | 6,800 |
| Rhode Island | $106,450 | $101,660 | 150 |
| South Carolina | $90,130 | $79,670 | 770 |
| South Dakota | $72,750 | $67,440 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $88,400 | $87,930 | 960 |
| Texas | $106,830 | $99,640 | 5,130 |
| Utah | $85,710 | $80,770 | 910 |
| Vermont | $92,730 | $86,120 | 80 |
| Virginia | $104,120 | $96,650 | 1,640 |
| Washington | $104,480 | $97,420 | 2,280 |
| West Virginia | $92,500 | $85,560 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $82,560 | $78,730 | 1,920 |
| Wyoming | $99,310 | $102,000 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$97,940
6,750 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$103,090
4,520 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$99,150
3,190 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$130,520
2,960 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$100,450
2,630 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$144,550
2,490 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$118,290
2,430 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$130,870
2,180 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do chemists make?
The average is $100,450 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $91,240 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $48.29, and the median is $43.87 an hour.
Which state pays chemists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $148,840 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $144,550.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,460 a year, and the top 10% earn over $160,830.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.