The average salary for a chemist in the United States is around $71,811 per year.
Avg Salary
Chemists earn an average yearly salary of $71,811.
Wages typically start from $41,128 and go up to $125,387.
19% above national average Updated in 2019
Chemist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level chemist earnings begin at:
$60.28 per hour
$125,387 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level chemist earnings begin at:
$46.29 per hour
$96,292 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level chemist earnings begin at:
$34.52 per hour
$71,811 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level chemist earnings begin at:
$25.75 per hour
$53,554 per year
10th percentile
Starting level chemist earnings begin at:
$19.77 per hour
$41,128 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Chemist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $95,590 |
| Massachusetts | $94,270 |
| New Jersey | $89,000 |
| New Mexico | $86,910 |
| North Dakota | $86,040 |
| Connecticut | $85,510 |
| Alaska | $83,700 |
| Minnesota | $83,090 |
| Georgia | $82,190 |
| Rhode Island | $81,710 |
| Washington | $80,550 |
| Nebraska | $80,480 |
| California | $79,990 |
| Texas | $78,810 |
| Idaho | $78,400 |
| New York | $76,750 |
| Louisiana | $76,000 |
| New Hampshire | $74,830 |
| Mississippi | $74,120 |
| Kansas | $73,840 |
| Michigan | $73,470 |
| Alabama | $72,400 |
| Colorado | $72,120 |
| Kentucky | $72,100 |
| North Carolina | $71,960 |
| Utah | $70,450 |
| Oregon | $69,930 |
| Wisconsin | $69,810 |
| Hawaii | $69,350 |
| Arkansas | $68,500 |
| Tennessee | $68,080 |
| Iowa | $67,862 |
| Ohio | $67,500 |
| Oklahoma | $67,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,360 |
| Missouri | $66,830 |
| Nevada | $66,210 |
| Vermont | $64,090 |
| South Carolina | $63,530 |
| Arizona | $62,584 |
| Wyoming | $62,550 |
| Illinois | $62,462 |
| Florida | $62,400 |
| Indiana | $61,991 |
| Maine | $59,110 |
| South Dakota | $58,370 |
| West Virginia | $57,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $55,630 |
| Montana | $52,360 |
| District of Columbia | $124,710 |
| Maryland | $116,360 |
| Delaware | $102,470 |
How do chemist salaries compare to similar careers?
Chemists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than statisticians but more than environmental consultants.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Statistician salary | $91K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $82K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $82K |
| Hydrologist salary | $81K |
| Geographer salary | $82K |
| Chemist salary | $72K |
| Industrial ecologist salary | $71K |
| Climate change analyst salary | $71K |
| Environmental restoration planner salary | $71K |
| Environmental consultant salary | $71K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)