Chemical Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for chemical engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Mexico$147,420
- Texas$144,350
- Louisiana$135,190
- Oklahoma$135,010
- Washington$134,910
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- New Hampshire$90,810
- Utah$96,460
- Wisconsin$98,440
- Michigan$105,570
- South Carolina$106,920
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $147,420 | $158,190 | $71 | +13.4% | 160 |
| 2 | Texas | $144,350 | $132,750 | $69 | +11.1% | 2,610 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $135,190 | $134,800 | $65 | +4% | 730 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $135,010 | $127,790 | $65 | +3.9% | 110 |
| 5 | Washington | $134,910 | $128,290 | $65 | +3.8% | 650 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $134,630 | $129,210 | $65 | +3.6% | 160 |
| 7 | Virginia | $133,340 | $136,380 | $64 | +2.6% | 790 |
| 8 | Delaware | $131,390 | $133,670 | $63 | +1.1% | 370 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $130,240 | $107,670 | $63 | +0.2% | 210 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $129,080 | $126,760 | $62 | -0.7% | 440 |
| 11 | Idaho | $128,840 | $106,740 | $62 | -0.9% | 140 |
| 12 | Maryland | $128,790 | $127,190 | $62 | -0.9% | 500 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $127,520 | $116,970 | $61 | -1.9% | 810 |
| 14 | Montana | $126,310 | $127,490 | $61 | -2.8% | 80 |
| 15 | Colorado | $126,060 | $125,800 | $61 | -3% | 720 |
| 16 | Alabama | $124,470 | $135,030 | $60 | -4.2% | 600 |
| 17 | Illinois | $123,570 | $121,560 | $59 | -4.9% | 520 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $123,550 | $117,410 | $59 | -4.9% | 380 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $122,160 | $117,170 | $59 | -6% | 190 |
| 20 | Alaska | $121,780 | $106,080 | $59 | -6.3% | — |
| 21 | Oregon | $121,660 | $116,950 | $58 | -6.4% | 140 |
| 22 | New York | $120,480 | $129,060 | $58 | -7.3% | 540 |
| 23 | Missouri | $119,110 | $102,320 | $57 | -8.4% | 320 |
| 24 | Ohio | $118,710 | $111,200 | $57 | -8.7% | 1,030 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $118,170 | $118,000 | $57 | -9.1% | 1,460 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $117,040 | $115,400 | $56 | -10% | 80 |
| 27 | Kansas | $115,070 | $102,020 | $55 | -11.5% | 280 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $115,030 | $111,590 | $55 | -11.5% | 50 |
| 29 | Indiana | $114,590 | $113,160 | $55 | -11.8% | 720 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $114,410 | $102,270 | $55 | -12% | 410 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $114,140 | $105,270 | $55 | -12.2% | 290 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $113,460 | $106,740 | $55 | -12.7% | 150 |
| 33 | Florida | $113,080 | $109,000 | $54 | -13% | 230 |
| 34 | Georgia | $112,180 | $103,880 | $54 | -13.7% | 330 |
| 35 | Iowa | $112,070 | $117,590 | $54 | -13.8% | 40 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $107,760 | $98,310 | $52 | -17.1% | 130 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $106,920 | $101,570 | $51 | -17.7% | 390 |
| 38 | Michigan | $105,570 | $103,230 | $51 | -18.8% | 670 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $98,440 | $97,660 | $47 | -24.3% | 110 |
| 40 | Utah | $96,460 | $85,520 | $46 | -25.8% | — |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $90,810 | $73,250 | $44 | -30.1% | 40 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 97 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque, NM | $163,380 | $143,640 | 80 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh, PA | $152,290 | $139,050 | 110 |
| 3 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $139,220 | $123,690 | 40 |
| 4 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $138,120 | $155,750 | 1,510 |
| 5 | Mobile, AL | $137,170 | $128,970 | 150 |
| 6 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $136,870 | $137,320 | 190 |
| 7 | Lake Charles, LA | $136,810 | $144,900 | 100 |
| 8 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $135,110 | $144,720 | 40 |
| 9 | Baton Rouge, LA | $134,800 | $136,220 | 360 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $134,210 | $142,640 | 320 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing chemical engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $162,500 | $157,540 | 1,140 |
| 2 | Temporary Help Services | $156,000 | $158,720 | 280 |
| 3 | Machinery Manufacturing | $147,960 | $152,490 | 1,350 |
| 4 | Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $146,470 | $155,880 | 40 |
| 5 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $145,670 | $144,200 | 110 |
| 6 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $145,670 | $144,200 | 110 |
| 7 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $137,550 | $175,620 | 50 |
| 8 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $137,550 | $175,620 | 50 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $137,180 | $137,050 | 1,020 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $137,180 | $137,050 | 1,020 |
| 11 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $136,810 | $147,080 | 1,020 |
| 12 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $136,810 | $147,080 | 1,020 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do chemical engineers make in the U.S.?
The median chemical engineers salary in the United States is $125,040 per year (mean $129,980), and about 80% earn between $79,420 and $182,880.
How much do chemical engineers make per hour?
Roughly $62 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $129,980 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays chemical engineers the most?
New Mexico has the highest average pay for chemical engineers at $147,420 per year (median $158,190).
What is the job outlook for chemical engineers?
Employment is projected to change +2.6% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,100 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.