SOC 17-2041 · Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Chemical Engineers

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$125,040

U.S. median hourly wage$60.12

U.S. employment21,070

Nationally, chemical engineers earned a median of $125,040 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 21,070 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

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Chemical Engineers: pay and employment by state
State
New Mexico	$158,190	$76.05	160	0.2
Virginia	$136,380	$65.57	790	0.2
Alabama	$135,030	$64.92	600	0.3
Louisiana	$134,800	$64.81	730	0.4
Delaware	$133,670	$64.27	370	0.8
Texas	$132,750	$63.82	2,610	0.2
West Virginia	$129,210	$62.12	160	0.2
New York	$129,060	$62.05	540	0.1
Washington	$128,290	$61.68	650	0.2
Oklahoma	$127,790	$61.44	110	0.1
Montana	$127,490	$61.29	80	0.2
Maryland	$127,190	$61.15	500	0.2
New Jersey	$126,760	$60.94	440	0.1
Colorado	$125,800	$60.48	720	0.3
Illinois	$121,560	$58.44	520	0.1
Massachusetts	$118,000	$56.73	1,460	0.4
Iowa	$117,590	$56.54	40	0.0
North Carolina	$117,410	$56.45	380	0.1
Kentucky	$117,170	$56.33	190	0.1
Pennsylvania	$116,970	$56.23	810	0.1
Oregon	$116,950	$56.23	140	0.1
North Dakota	$115,400	$55.48	80	0.2
Indiana	$113,160	$54.41	720	0.2
Rhode Island	$111,590	$53.65	50	0.1
Ohio	$111,200	$53.46	1,030	0.2
Florida	$109,000	$52.41	230	0.0
Minnesota	$107,670	$51.77	210	0.1
Idaho	$106,740	$51.32	140	0.2
Mississippi	$106,740	$51.32	150	0.1
Alaska	$106,080	$51.00	Not published	Not published
Arkansas	$105,270	$50.61	290	0.2
Georgia	$103,880	$49.94	330	0.1
Michigan	$103,230	$49.63	670	0.2
Missouri	$102,320	$49.19	320	0.1
Connecticut	$102,270	$49.17	410	0.2
Kansas	$102,020	$49.05	280	0.2
South Carolina	$101,570	$48.83	390	0.2
Nebraska	$98,310	$47.27	130	0.1
Wisconsin	$97,660	$46.95	110	0.0
Utah	$85,520	$41.11	Not published	Not published
New Hampshire	$73,250	$35.22	40	0.1
Arizona	Not published	Not published	80	0.0
California	Not published	Not published	2,190	0.1
Nevada	Not published	Not published	110	0.1
Tennessee	Not published	Not published	480	0.1

Pay by metro area

All 87 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

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Chemical Engineers: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
Albuquerque, NM	$163,380	$78.55	80	0.2
Pittsburgh, PA	$152,290	$73.22	110	0.1
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	$139,220	$66.94	40	0.2
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$138,120	$66.40	1,510	0.5
Mobile, AL	$137,170	$65.95	150	0.8
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$136,870	$65.80	190	0.4
Lake Charles, LA	$136,810	$65.77	100	1.0
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$135,110	$64.96	40	0.2
Baton Rouge, LA	$134,800	$64.81	360	0.9
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$134,210	$64.52	320	0.1
Rochester, NY	$133,740	$64.30	Not published	Not published
St. Louis, MO-IL	$133,450	$64.16	110	0.1
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$132,820	$63.86	640	0.2
Toledo, OH	$132,760	$63.83	70	0.2
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$131,690	$63.31	70	0.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$130,520	$62.75	130	0.0
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$130,030	$62.51	320	2.4
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$129,850	$62.43	140	0.9
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$129,790	$62.40	60	0.0
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$129,070	$62.05	50	0.1
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$129,060	$62.05	40	0.1
Wichita, KS	$128,780	$61.92	Not published	Not published
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$128,610	$61.83	180	0.1
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$128,110	$61.59	410	0.3
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$127,770	$61.43	790	0.3
Tulsa, OK	$127,360	$61.23	50	0.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$126,830	$60.98	510	0.1
Corpus Christi, TX	$126,690	$60.91	100	0.5
Boulder, CO	$125,800	$60.48	190	1.0
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$125,200	$60.19	230	0.1
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$123,860	$59.55	50	0.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$122,730	$59.01	170	0.1
Evansville, IN	$120,990	$58.17	60	0.4
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$118,010	$56.74	Not published	Not published
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$117,440	$56.46	110	0.3
Richmond, VA	$117,150	$56.32	60	0.1
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$115,890	$55.72	110	0.1
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$114,800	$55.19	100	0.2
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$112,770	$54.22	70	0.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$111,980	$53.84	50	0.0
Peoria, IL	$111,880	$53.79	30	0.2
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$111,210	$53.47	90	0.1
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$110,960	$53.35	40	0.1
Columbus, OH	$110,860	$53.30	170	0.2
Springfield, MA	$110,770	$53.26	40	0.2
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$110,760	$53.25	370	0.1
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$110,000	$52.88	30	0.0
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$109,460	$52.63	910	0.3
Columbus, IN	$109,190	$52.49	40	0.9
Decatur, AL	$109,160	$52.48	60	1.0
Akron, OH	$108,710	$52.27	40	0.1
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$108,570	$52.20	30	0.1
Cleveland, OH	$108,350	$52.09	240	0.2
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$107,610	$51.74	300	0.3
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$107,240	$51.56	80	0.2
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$106,950	$51.42	80	0.1
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$106,200	$51.06	Not published	Not published
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$104,230	$50.11	220	0.1
Worcester, MA	$104,060	$50.03	260	0.7
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$103,520	$49.77	230	0.1
New Haven, CT	$102,850	$49.45	60	0.2
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$102,590	$49.32	60	0.2
Kansas City, MO-KS	$102,320	$49.19	380	0.3
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$101,750	$48.92	50	0.4
Huntsville, AL	$101,480	$48.79	60	0.2
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$101,410	$48.76	180	0.3
Reading, PA	$100,190	$48.17	50	0.3
Omaha, NE-IA	$98,480	$47.35	90	0.2
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$98,350	$47.28	40	0.2
Ogden, UT	$98,090	$47.16	80	0.3
Madison, WI	$97,190	$46.73	Not published	Not published
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI	$96,190	$46.25	50	0.4
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$86,820	$41.74	60	0.1
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$85,520	$41.11	Not published	Not published
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	$81,840	$39.34	90	0.3
Ann Arbor, MI	$78,660	$37.82	50	0.2
Lansing-East Lansing, MI	$66,230	$31.84	50	0.2
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	Not published	Not published	160	0.4
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	Not published	Not published	70	0.2
Columbia, SC	Not published	Not published	100	0.3
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	Not published	Not published	70	0.1
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	Not published	Not published	50	0.1
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	Not published	Not published	140	0.1
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	Not published	Not published	130	0.1
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	Not published	Not published	620	0.3
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	Not published	Not published	670	0.6
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	Not published	Not published	30	0.2

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.