Chemists
Chemists (SOC 19-2031) earn a median $91,240 a year ($43.87 an hour) in the United States, with 82,770 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What chemists do
Chemists study the composition, structure, and behavior of substances and the changes they undergo. Their experiments and analyses support product development, quality control, and basic research. Typical tasks include analyzing organic and inorganic compounds to find their chemical and physical properties, composition, and structure, developing or customizing products, formulas, processes, and analytical methods, and inducing changes in substances through heat, light, energy, or chemical agents to observe the results. Chemists also run quality control tests, document procedures, and report results. They also maintain laboratory instruments and troubleshoot malfunctions, prepare test solutions and reagents for laboratory personnel, and compile test information to judge how efficiently a process or piece of equipment is operating. The occupation excludes biochemists and biophysicists, who study living systems, and geoscientists, who study Earth materials. Chemists also differ from chemical engineers, who design large-scale production processes, from materials scientists, who focus on the structure and properties of materials, and from chemical technicians, who assist chemists with routine laboratory work.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Analytical Chemist, Agricultural Chemist, Assay Development Scientist, Air Quality Chemist, Analytical Scientist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $28.11 | $33.39 | $43.87 | $60.36 | $77.32 | $48.29 | 82,770 |
| Annual | $58,460 | $69,460 | $91,240 | $125,550 | $160,830 | $100,450 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where chemists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $48.75 | $61.83 | $72.05 | $82.96 | $93.84 | $71.56 | 280 | 0.39 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $101,400 | $128,610 | $149,860 | $172,560 | $195,190 | $148,840 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $36.26 | $49.92 | $67.63 | $82.36 | $93.84 | $66.87 | 2,480 | 0.90 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $75,430 | $103,840 | $140,670 | $171,310 | $195,190 | $139,100 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $38.70 | $48.46 | $62.43 | $67.22 | $81.87 | $58.74 | 1,200 | 2.48 | 4.65 |
| Annual | $80,500 | $100,800 | $129,860 | $139,820 | $170,290 | $122,170 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $28.60 | $35.13 | $61.04 | $85.81 | $102.37 | $61.84 | 280 | 0.32 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $59,490 | $73,070 | $126,960 | $178,480 | $212,940 | $128,630 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $34.19 | $41.27 | $60.09 | $79.21 | $102.02 | $61.99 | 3,430 | 0.94 | 1.77 |
| Annual | $71,120 | $85,830 | $125,000 | $164,760 | $212,210 | $128,930 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $29.29 | $36.70 | $47.05 | $61.44 | $78.92 | $51.35 | 9,820 | 0.54 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $60,930 | $76,340 | $97,860 | $127,790 | $164,150 | $106,810 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $23.94 | $30.02 | $37.06 | $48.82 | $69.65 | $42.30 | 6,800 | 1.12 | 2.11 |
| Annual | $49,800 | $62,430 | $77,090 | $101,550 | $144,860 | $87,990 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $29.28 | $36.08 | $40.60 | $52.63 | $69.24 | $46.63 | 5,280 | 1.23 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $60,910 | $75,050 | $84,450 | $109,470 | $144,030 | $96,980 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.29 | $35.18 | $47.90 | $66.83 | $81.85 | $51.36 | 5,130 | 0.36 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $58,850 | $73,160 | $99,640 | $139,010 | $170,250 | $106,830 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $27.96 | $32.09 | $39.72 | $51.08 | $63.47 | $43.66 | 4,530 | 0.92 | 1.72 |
| Annual | $58,170 | $66,760 | $82,620 | $106,240 | $132,020 | $90,800 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $39.80 | $53.62 | $69.56 | $84.78 | $93.84 | $69.50 | 2,490 | 0.79 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $82,780 | $111,530 | $144,680 | $176,340 | $195,190 | $144,550 | ||||
| Bay City, MI | Hourly | $46.85 | $47.20 | $63.69 | $77.84 | $77.85 | $67.26 | 250 | 7.37 | 13.84 |
| Annual | $97,440 | $98,180 | $132,480 | $161,900 | $161,920 | $139,910 | ||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $37.16 | $51.54 | $63.39 | $79.03 | $79.08 | $62.11 | 70 | 0.53 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $77,290 | $107,190 | $131,860 | $164,390 | $164,480 | $129,190 | ||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $41.01 | $56.35 | $63.37 | $75.36 | $80.93 | $63.69 | 60 | 0.79 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $85,300 | $117,210 | $131,810 | $156,750 | $168,330 | $132,480 | ||||
| Lake Charles, LA | Hourly | $38.49 | $47.43 | $61.70 | $80.39 | $80.99 | $60.89 | 180 | 1.72 | 3.23 |
| Annual | $80,060 | $98,640 | $128,330 | $167,220 | $168,460 | $126,650 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $29.32 | $36.99 | $40.94 | $52.26 | $69.35 | $47.09 | 6,750 | 0.71 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $60,980 | $76,940 | $85,150 | $108,700 | $144,260 | $97,940 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $30.36 | $31.47 | $45.88 | $64.20 | $78.76 | $49.56 | 4,520 | 1.56 | 2.93 |
| Annual | $63,150 | $65,450 | $95,440 | $133,540 | $163,820 | $103,090 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $28.64 | $36.02 | $41.86 | $54.63 | $65.29 | $47.67 | 3,190 | 0.51 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $59,570 | $74,920 | $87,060 | $113,630 | $135,800 | $99,150 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $34.19 | $41.51 | $61.20 | $79.23 | $102.03 | $62.75 | 2,960 | 1.09 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $71,120 | $86,330 | $127,290 | $164,790 | $212,220 | $130,520 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $29.97 | $35.07 | $43.71 | $59.28 | $70.16 | $48.29 | 2,630 | 0.58 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $62,330 | $72,950 | $90,920 | $123,290 | $145,930 | $100,450 | ||||
Top industries employing chemists
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing employ 16.4% of chemists nationally (13,610 jobs) at a median $80,440 a year ($38.67 an hour), followed by Scientific Research and Development Services (16.2%) and Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (12.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing NAICS 325400 | 13,610 | 16.4% | $80,440 | $38.67 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 13,430 | 16.2% | $105,930 | $50.93 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 9,910 | 12.0% | $69,340 | $33.34 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) NAICS 3250A1 | 8,900 | 10.8% | $103,580 | $49.80 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) NAICS 3250A2 | 5,010 | 6.1% | $82,870 | $39.84 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (82,770). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $79,430 for chemists in May 2021 and $91,240 in May 2025, with employment of 80,600 and 82,770.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $79,430 | $38.19 | 80,600 |
| May 2022 | $80,670 | $38.78 | 83,940 |
| May 2023 | $84,680 | $40.71 | 83,530 |
| May 2024 | $84,150 | $40.46 | 83,250 |
| May 2025 | $91,240 | $43.87 | 82,770 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $72.05 | $149,860 | $101,400 | $195,190 | 280 | 0.39 | 0.74 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $67.63 | $140,670 | $75,430 | $195,190 | 2,480 | 0.90 | 1.69 |
| 3 | Delaware profile | $62.43 | $129,860 | $80,500 | $170,290 | 1,200 | 2.48 | 4.65 |
| 4 | New Mexico profile | $61.04 | $126,960 | $59,490 | $212,940 | 280 | 0.32 | 0.61 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $60.09 | $125,000 | $71,120 | $212,210 | 3,430 | 0.94 | 1.77 |
| 6 | Alaska profile | $50.96 | $106,010 | $61,840 | $140,800 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.35 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $50.28 | $104,590 | $70,320 | $157,700 | 730 | 0.37 | 0.70 |
| 8 | Louisiana profile | $49.95 | $103,890 | $58,310 | $168,460 | 740 | 0.38 | 0.72 |
| 9 | Wyoming profile | $49.04 | $102,000 | $52,150 | $127,120 | 80 | 0.28 | 0.53 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $49.03 | $101,980 | $61,260 | $162,680 | 1,790 | 0.62 | 1.17 |
| 11 | Rhode Island profile | $48.88 | $101,660 | $70,210 | $146,830 | 150 | 0.30 | 0.55 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $48.10 | $100,050 | $58,260 | $133,960 | 300 | 0.45 | 0.84 |
| 13 | Texas profile | $47.90 | $99,640 | $58,850 | $170,250 | 5,130 | 0.36 | 0.68 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $47.73 | $99,280 | $60,010 | $158,540 | 1,680 | 0.57 | 1.07 |
| 15 | Connecticut profile | $47.18 | $98,140 | $65,230 | $144,740 | 1,170 | 0.69 | 1.30 |
| 16 | California profile | $47.05 | $97,860 | $60,930 | $164,150 | 9,820 | 0.54 | 1.01 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $47.03 | $97,830 | $61,050 | $150,410 | 700 | 0.33 | 0.62 |
| 18 | Michigan profile | $46.85 | $97,440 | $56,260 | $164,200 | 3,490 | 0.79 | 1.49 |
| 19 | Washington profile | $46.84 | $97,420 | $62,690 | $165,090 | 2,280 | 0.64 | 1.21 |
| 20 | North Dakota profile | $46.80 | $97,330 | $52,050 | $132,330 | 160 | 0.37 | 0.69 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $46.47 | $96,650 | $52,870 | $166,230 | 1,640 | 0.40 | 0.75 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | $44.59 | $92,750 | $56,760 | $144,870 | 1,260 | 0.26 | 0.48 |
| 23 | New York profile | $43.56 | $90,600 | $61,100 | $155,190 | 4,230 | 0.44 | 0.82 |
| 24 | Tennessee profile | $42.27 | $87,930 | $48,530 | $132,630 | 960 | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| 25 | Vermont profile | $41.40 | $86,120 | $68,640 | $128,420 | 80 | 0.25 | 0.47 |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $41.39 | $86,100 | $65,270 | $137,560 | 570 | 0.37 | 0.69 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | $41.14 | $85,560 | $59,600 | $132,380 | 180 | 0.26 | 0.49 |
| 28 | Ohio profile | $41.00 | $85,270 | $59,010 | $134,820 | 4,010 | 0.72 | 1.36 |
| 29 | Illinois profile | $40.98 | $85,230 | $60,740 | $141,310 | 3,040 | 0.50 | 0.94 |
| 30 | New Jersey profile | $40.60 | $84,450 | $60,910 | $144,030 | 5,280 | 1.23 | 2.31 |
| 31 | Hawaii profile | $40.46 | $84,150 | $63,080 | $126,070 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.42 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $40.43 | $84,090 | $54,950 | $126,060 | 530 | 0.27 | 0.50 |
| 33 | Kansas profile | $39.82 | $82,820 | $53,360 | $132,460 | 690 | 0.48 | 0.90 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $39.81 | $82,800 | $48,240 | $134,940 | 1,640 | 0.56 | 1.05 |
| 35 | Florida profile | $39.78 | $82,740 | $50,200 | $150,840 | 1,490 | 0.15 | 0.28 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $39.72 | $82,620 | $58,170 | $132,020 | 4,530 | 0.92 | 1.72 |
| 37 | Arizona profile | $39.29 | $81,730 | $53,520 | $135,940 | 870 | 0.27 | 0.50 |
| 38 | Nevada profile | $39.02 | $81,170 | $49,220 | $130,800 | 280 | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| 39 | Utah profile | $38.83 | $80,770 | $54,350 | $129,990 | 910 | 0.52 | 0.98 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $38.49 | $80,060 | $52,060 | $130,560 | 200 | 0.17 | 0.33 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $38.30 | $79,670 | $54,420 | $139,570 | 770 | 0.34 | 0.63 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $37.87 | $78,770 | $56,960 | $133,140 | 2,480 | 0.78 | 1.46 |
| 43 | Wisconsin profile | $37.85 | $78,730 | $52,020 | $109,450 | 1,920 | 0.65 | 1.22 |
| 44 | Idaho profile | $37.50 | $78,000 | $37,230 | $134,850 | 320 | 0.38 | 0.71 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.06 | $77,090 | $49,800 | $144,860 | 6,800 | 1.12 | 2.11 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $36.33 | $75,570 | $46,600 | $131,620 | 380 | 0.30 | 0.55 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $36.04 | $74,960 | $48,520 | $112,920 | 630 | 0.37 | 0.70 |
| 48 | Nebraska profile | $36.00 | $74,890 | $62,280 | $128,510 | 350 | 0.34 | 0.64 |
| 49 | South Dakota profile | $32.42 | $67,440 | $51,270 | $101,030 | 170 | 0.38 | 0.70 |
| 50 | Maine profile | $30.98 | $64,440 | $50,640 | $100,360 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.41 |
| 51 | Montana profile | $29.76 | $61,890 | $44,260 | $115,390 | 300 | 0.59 | 1.10 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (19-2030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-2031 Chemists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-2031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-2031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.