SOC 19-2031 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Chemists

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

U.S. median annual wage$91,240

U.S. median hourly wage$43.87

U.S. employment82,770

Nationally, chemists earned a median of $91,240 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 82,770 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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Chemists: pay and employment by state
State
District of Columbia	$149,860	$72.05	280	0.4
Maryland	$140,670	$67.63	2,480	0.9
Delaware	$129,860	$62.43	1,200	2.5
New Mexico	$126,960	$61.04	280	0.3
Massachusetts	$125,000	$60.09	3,430	0.9
Alaska	$106,010	$50.96	60	0.2
Oregon	$104,590	$50.28	730	0.4
Louisiana	$103,890	$49.95	740	0.4
Wyoming	$102,000	$49.04	80	0.3
Colorado	$101,980	$49.03	1,790	0.6
Rhode Island	$101,660	$48.88	150	0.3
New Hampshire	$100,050	$48.10	300	0.4
Texas	$99,640	$47.90	5,130	0.4
Minnesota	$99,280	$47.73	1,680	0.6
Connecticut	$98,140	$47.18	1,170	0.7
California	$97,860	$47.05	9,820	0.5
Alabama	$97,830	$47.03	700	0.3
Michigan	$97,440	$46.85	3,490	0.8
Washington	$97,420	$46.84	2,280	0.6
North Dakota	$97,330	$46.80	160	0.4
Virginia	$96,650	$46.47	1,640	0.4
Georgia	$92,750	$44.59	1,260	0.3
New York	$90,600	$43.56	4,230	0.4
Tennessee	$87,930	$42.27	960	0.3
Vermont	$86,120	$41.40	80	0.3
Iowa	$86,100	$41.39	570	0.4
West Virginia	$85,560	$41.14	180	0.3
Ohio	$85,270	$41.00	4,010	0.7
Illinois	$85,230	$40.98	3,040	0.5
New Jersey	$84,450	$40.60	5,280	1.2
Hawaii	$84,150	$40.46	140	0.2
Kentucky	$84,090	$40.43	530	0.3
Kansas	$82,820	$39.82	690	0.5
Missouri	$82,800	$39.81	1,640	0.6
Florida	$82,740	$39.78	1,490	0.2
North Carolina	$82,620	$39.72	4,530	0.9
Arizona	$81,730	$39.29	870	0.3
Nevada	$81,170	$39.02	280	0.2
Utah	$80,770	$38.83	910	0.5
Mississippi	$80,060	$38.49	200	0.2
South Carolina	$79,670	$38.30	770	0.3
Indiana	$78,770	$37.87	2,480	0.8
Wisconsin	$78,730	$37.85	1,920	0.7
Idaho	$78,000	$37.50	320	0.4
Pennsylvania	$77,090	$37.06	6,800	1.1
Puerto Rico	$76,450	$36.76	810	0.9
Arkansas	$75,570	$36.33	380	0.3
Oklahoma	$74,960	$36.04	630	0.4
Nebraska	$74,890	$36.00	350	0.3
South Dakota	$67,440	$32.42	170	0.4
Maine	$64,440	$30.98	140	0.2
Montana	$61,890	$29.76	300	0.6

Pay by metro area

All 215 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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Chemists: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$144,680	$69.56	2,490	0.8
Bay City, MI	$132,480	$63.69	250	7.4
Midland, TX	$131,860	$63.39	70	0.5
Lexington Park, MD	$131,810	$63.37	60	0.8
Lake Charles, LA	$128,330	$61.70	180	1.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$127,790	$61.44	2,180	0.9
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$127,290	$61.20	2,960	1.1
Albuquerque, NM	$126,960	$61.04	180	0.4
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$123,840	$59.54	50	0.2
Spartanburg, SC	$122,350	$58.82	90	0.5
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	$121,770	$58.54	210	1.7
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$118,880	$57.16	610	0.5
Athens-Clarke County, GA	$117,990	$56.72	110	1.2
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$114,890	$55.24	580	0.5
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$110,920	$53.33	400	0.9
Decatur, AL	$109,110	$52.46	60	0.9
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$108,010	$51.93	80	0.8
State College, PA	$107,890	$51.87	50	0.8
Baton Rouge, LA	$107,590	$51.73	270	0.6
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$106,740	$51.32	2,430	0.7
Tulsa, OK	$106,690	$51.29	170	0.4
Anchorage, AK	$106,000	$50.96	40	0.2
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	$105,770	$50.85	30	0.3
Midland, MI	$105,710	$50.82	240	6.3
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$105,610	$50.77	40	0.3
Boulder, CO	$105,590	$50.77	500	2.6
Peoria, IL	$105,370	$50.66	50	0.3
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI	$105,220	$50.59	230	1.9
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$104,510	$50.25	230	0.6
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$103,980	$49.99	50	0.3
Savannah, GA	$103,380	$49.70	50	0.2
Mobile, AL	$102,600	$49.33	90	0.5
Eugene-Springfield, OR	$102,460	$49.26	70	0.4
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$102,390	$49.23	820	0.5
Huntsville, AL	$101,500	$48.80	130	0.5
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$100,730	$48.43	190	0.3
Worcester, MA	$100,720	$48.43	370	1.0
Manchester-Nashua, NH	$100,090	$48.12	90	0.4
Longview, TX	$99,880	$48.02	30	0.3
Knoxville, TN	$99,790	$47.98	100	0.2
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$99,530	$47.85	290	0.7
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$99,390	$47.78	160	1.0
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$99,280	$47.73	1,420	0.7
Winston-Salem, NC	$98,090	$47.16	240	0.9
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$97,930	$47.08	730	0.3
Bend, OR	$97,690	$46.97	50	0.5
Greensboro-High Point, NC	$97,690	$46.97	300	0.8
New Haven, CT	$97,610	$46.93	200	0.7
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$97,570	$46.91	190	0.6
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	$97,470	$46.86	40	0.2
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA	$96,650	$46.47	80	1.1
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$96,170	$46.23	930	0.8
Gainesville, FL	$96,110	$46.21	30	0.2
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$96,100	$46.20	170	0.4
Lawrence, KS	$96,050	$46.18	60	1.2
Wichita, KS	$96,040	$46.17	90	0.3
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$95,840	$46.08	70	0.7
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$95,440	$45.88	4,520	1.6
Janesville-Beloit, WI	$95,430	$45.88	40	0.5
Evansville, IN	$95,210	$45.77	140	1.0
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$95,160	$45.75	1,370	0.9
Salinas, CA	$95,080	$45.71	30	0.2
Corvallis, OR	$94,990	$45.67	80	2.0
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$94,990	$45.67	430	0.4
York-Hanover, PA	$94,200	$45.29	160	0.9
Columbus, OH	$94,170	$45.27	1,170	1.1
Corpus Christi, TX	$93,410	$44.91	80	0.4
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$93,340	$44.87	50	0.4
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$92,660	$44.55	480	0.3
Gainesville, GA	$92,500	$44.47	30	0.3
Chattanooga, TN-GA	$92,490	$44.47	50	0.2
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI	$92,320	$44.39	70	1.2
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$92,240	$44.35	80	0.4
Fayetteville, NC	$92,080	$44.27	30	0.3
Duluth, MN-WI	$91,560	$44.02	50	0.4
Ithaca, NY	$91,330	$43.91	30	0.6
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$91,040	$43.77	290	0.3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$90,920	$43.71	2,630	0.6
Ogden, UT	$90,740	$43.63	90	0.3
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	$90,640	$43.58	30	0.1
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$90,070	$43.30	100	0.3
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$90,010	$43.27	340	0.6
Napa, CA	$89,180	$42.87	50	0.7
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$88,890	$42.74	650	0.5
Charleston, WV	$88,640	$42.62	30	0.3
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	$88,530	$42.56	80	0.3
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$87,990	$42.30	1,090	0.5
Richmond, VA	$87,580	$42.11	320	0.5
Visalia, CA	$87,570	$42.10	30	0.2
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$87,560	$42.10	150	0.4
Greeley, CO	$87,350	$41.99	80	0.6
Charlottesville, VA	$87,260	$41.95	90	0.8
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$87,130	$41.89	60	0.2
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$87,060	$41.86	3,190	0.5
Columbia, MO	$87,000	$41.83	90	0.8
Roanoke, VA	$86,720	$41.69	50	0.3
St. Louis, MO-IL	$86,690	$41.68	1,040	0.8
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	$86,120	$41.40	50	0.4
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$86,090	$41.39	110	0.2
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	$86,060	$41.37	40	0.3
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$85,930	$41.31	110	0.5
Idaho Falls, ID	$85,810	$41.26	130	1.5
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$85,770	$41.23	1,250	0.7
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$85,150	$40.94	6,750	0.7
Urban Honolulu, HI	$84,910	$40.82	130	0.3
Kenosha, WI	$84,520	$40.64	80	1.1
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$84,510	$40.63	320	0.6
Ames, IA	$84,300	$40.53	40	0.7
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$84,150	$40.46	740	1.0
Springfield, IL	$84,110	$40.44	40	0.4
Rochester, NY	$84,030	$40.40	300	0.6
Kansas City, MO-KS	$83,420	$40.11	550	0.5
Waterbury-Shelton, CT	$83,420	$40.11	50	0.3
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO	$83,340	$40.07	200	1.2
Sioux Falls, SD-MN	$83,220	$40.01	40	0.2
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$83,180	$39.99	440	0.2
Modesto, CA	$83,120	$39.96	90	0.5
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV	$82,990	$39.90	40	0.4
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$82,960	$39.89	220	0.7
Lincoln, NE	$82,920	$39.87	80	0.5
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$82,850	$39.83	40	0.1
Birmingham, AL	$82,790	$39.80	170	0.3
Syracuse, NY	$82,410	$39.62	70	0.2
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$82,400	$39.62	400	0.4
Sheboygan, WI	$82,260	$39.55	90	1.5
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$82,110	$39.48	290	0.5
Cleveland, OH	$82,020	$39.43	680	0.7
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$81,990	$39.42	200	0.3
Morgantown, WV	$81,970	$39.41	40	0.6
Reno, NV	$81,860	$39.36	90	0.3
Colorado Springs, CO	$81,840	$39.34	60	0.2
Montgomery, AL	$81,700	$39.28	50	0.3
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$81,680	$39.27	40	0.8
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	$81,640	$39.25	60	0.2
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$81,580	$39.22	1,140	3.3
Reading, PA	$81,520	$39.19	90	0.5
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$81,500	$39.18	480	2.0
Vallejo, CA	$81,470	$39.17	130	0.9
Jacksonville, FL	$81,330	$39.10	120	0.2
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$81,270	$39.07	850	0.2
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$81,170	$39.02	160	0.1
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$80,870	$38.88	160	0.4
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	$80,860	$38.88	110	0.7
Bowling Green, KY	$80,780	$38.84	40	0.5
Cedar Rapids, IA	$80,510	$38.71	70	0.5
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	$80,190	$38.55	40	0.2
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$80,080	$38.50	70	0.2
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$79,980	$38.45	580	0.7
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$79,770	$38.35	300	0.2
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	$79,600	$38.27	400	1.0
Auburn-Opelika, AL	$79,530	$38.23	40	0.6
Dover, DE	$79,300	$38.13	40	0.6
Akron, OH	$78,990	$37.98	200	0.6
Boise City, ID	$78,930	$37.95	110	0.3
Fort Wayne, IN	$78,860	$37.91	60	0.2
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$78,860	$37.91	440	0.5
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$78,770	$37.87	1,310	1.2
Madison, WI	$78,730	$37.85	780	1.9
Yakima, WA	$78,580	$37.78	40	0.5
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI	$78,260	$37.63	130	1.7
Toledo, OH	$78,250	$37.62	150	0.5
St. Joseph, MO-KS	$78,230	$37.61	100	1.8
Wilmington, NC	$78,130	$37.56	400	2.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$78,060	$37.53	570	0.2
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	$78,020	$37.51	150	0.5
Elkhart-Goshen, IN	$77,830	$37.42	80	0.6
Joplin, MO-KS	$77,460	$37.24	40	0.4
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$77,400	$37.21	90	0.4
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$77,380	$37.20	680	1.0
Bloomington, IN	$77,080	$37.06	190	2.5
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$76,980	$37.01	120	0.2
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$76,830	$36.94	240	0.2
Canton-Massillon, OH	$76,660	$36.85	50	0.3
Terre Haute, IN	$76,290	$36.68	50	0.8
Springfield, MO	$76,270	$36.67	30	0.2
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	$76,110	$36.59	40	0.3
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$75,610	$36.35	30	0.2
Omaha, NE-IA	$74,890	$36.00	170	0.3
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI	$74,890	$36.01	70	0.6
Green Bay, WI	$74,660	$35.89	50	0.3
Pittsburgh, PA	$74,200	$35.67	980	0.9
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$73,670	$35.42	160	0.5
Fresno, CA	$73,470	$35.32	120	0.2
Columbia, SC	$73,430	$35.30	190	0.5
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$73,100	$35.14	130	0.1
Lima, OH	$72,570	$34.89	100	1.9
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	$72,340	$34.78	70	0.3
Fargo, ND-MN	$71,510	$34.38	40	0.3
Lexington-Fayette, KY	$68,640	$33.00	120	0.4
Bozeman, MT	$67,570	$32.49	50	0.7
Champaign-Urbana, IL	$67,310	$32.36	80	0.8
Ann Arbor, MI	$67,050	$32.24	230	1.0
Asheville, NC	$66,910	$32.17	40	0.2
Iowa City, IA	$65,270	$31.38	40	0.5
Youngstown-Warren, OH	$65,170	$31.33	30	0.2
College Station-Bryan, TX	$65,080	$31.29	90	0.7
Bellingham, WA	$64,560	$31.04	90	1.0
Portland-South Portland, ME	$64,320	$30.93	60	0.2
Lynchburg, VA	$63,960	$30.75	50	0.5
Lansing-East Lansing, MI	$63,810	$30.68	140	0.6
El Paso, TX	$63,620	$30.59	80	0.2
Waco, TX	$61,880	$29.75	50	0.4
Oklahoma City, OK	$61,750	$29.69	280	0.4
Topeka, KS	$60,130	$28.91	30	0.3
Johnstown, PA	$59,920	$28.81	90	1.8
Billings, MT	$59,780	$28.74	100	1.0
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$57,970	$27.87	120	0.3
Lubbock, TX	$57,090	$27.45	40	0.2
Tallahassee, FL	$53,000	$25.48	60	0.3
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN	$52,140	$25.07	120	1.1
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$48,530	$23.33	320	0.3
Ponce, PR	$48,180	$23.17	50	0.8
Missoula, MT	Not published	Not published	50	0.8
Pueblo, CO	Not published	Not published	60	1.0
Tucson, AZ	Not published	Not published	250	0.6

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.