17 Series · SOC 17-2041

Chemical Engineers Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$125,040
Median / year
$182,880
Top 10% earn
+2.6%
Growth '23–'33
21,070
US workers

Chemical Engineers earn a median of $125,040 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $125,040, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $79,420 (10th percentile) to $182,880 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 21,070 US workers. New Mexico pays the most ($158,190), since pay varies by state and metro area.

17 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Chemical Engineers earn a median of $125,040, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 92% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Architecture and Engineering, it ranks #6 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.6% by 2033.

$125,040
Median annual wage
Top 8%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#6 of 36
in Architecture and Engineering
2.3×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: New Mexico at $158,190. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041) pays a national median of $125,040 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $79,420 at the 10th percentile to $182,880 at the 90th, with a mean of $129,980 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 21,070 Americans work in this occupation across 41 reporting states and 87 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,100 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 2 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Mexico pays the highest state median at $158,190, which is +27% above the national figure. The top metro is Albuquerque, NM at $163,380 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 21,070 jobs Median $125,040/yr

Median Salary

$125,040

per year

Median Hourly

$60.12/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$129,980

average

Employment

21,070

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Chemical Engineers pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$125,040 Top 8% higher than 92% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 17-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Chemical Engineers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 23 17-series occupations with growth data, Chemical Engineers sits on the slower-growing side at +2.6% growth and $125,040 median pay.

Among 23 17-series occupations with growth data, Chemical Engineers sits on the slower-growing side at +2.6% growth and $125,040 median pay. Scatter plot of 23 data points. $0$50000$100000$150000$200000 -10%-5%0%5%10%15% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 23 17-series occupations with growth data, Chemical Engineers sits on the slower-growing side at +2.6% growth and $125,040 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+2.6%

Slower than average

Annual Openings

1,100

per year (projected)

Typical Education

Bachelor's degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
A

Very Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

2/100K

Injury Rate

0.5/100

Danger Index

3/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Chemical Engineers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Science 4.1
Critical Thinking 4.1
Reading Comprehension 4.0
Complex Problem Solving 4.0
Active Learning 3.9
Judgment and Decision Making 3.9
Systems Analysis 3.9
Systems Evaluation 3.9
Mathematics 3.8
Operations Analysis 3.6

Knowledge Areas

Engineering and Technology 4.8
Chemistry 4.7
Mathematics 4.3
Design 4.0
Physics 4.0
Production and Processing 4.0
English Language 3.7
Computers and Electronics 3.2
Mechanical 3.0
Administration and Management 2.8

Key Tasks

  • ▸ Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
  • ▸ Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
  • ▸ Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
  • ▸ Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
  • ▸ Design and plan layout of equipment.
  • ▸ Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
  • ▸ Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.
  • ▸ Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
  • ▸ Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
  • ▸ Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$79,420$97,820$125,040$157,190$182,880
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$38.19$47.03$60.12$75.57$87.92
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$79,420

25th Percentile

$97,820

Median

$125,040

75th Percentile

$157,190

90th Percentile

$182,880

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. New Mexico $158,190 2. Virginia $136,380 3. Alabama $135,030 4. Louisiana $134,800 5. Delaware $133,670

Lowest Paying States

37. New Hampshire $73,250 38. Utah $85,520 39. Wisconsin $97,660 40. Nebraska $98,310 41. South Carolina $101,570
View all 41 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 New Mexico $158,190 +27% above national
2 Virginia $136,380 +9% above national
3 Alabama $135,030 +8% above national
4 Louisiana $134,800 +8% above national
5 Delaware $133,670 +7% above national
6 Texas $132,750 +6% above national
7 West Virginia $129,210 +3% above national
8 New York $129,060 +3% above national
9 Washington $128,290 +3% above national
10 Oklahoma $127,790 +2% above national
11 Montana $127,490 +2% above national
12 Maryland $127,190 +2% above national
13 New Jersey $126,760 +1% above national
14 Colorado $125,800 +1% above national
15 Illinois $121,560 3% below national
16 Massachusetts $118,000 6% below national
17 Iowa $117,590 6% below national
18 North Carolina $117,410 6% below national
19 Kentucky $117,170 6% below national
20 Pennsylvania $116,970 6% below national
21 Oregon $116,950 6% below national
22 North Dakota $115,400 8% below national
23 Indiana $113,160 10% below national
24 Rhode Island $111,590 11% below national
25 Ohio $111,200 11% below national
26 Florida $109,000 13% below national
27 Minnesota $107,670 14% below national
28 Idaho $106,740 15% below national
29 Mississippi $106,740 15% below national
30 Alaska $106,080 15% below national
31 Arkansas $105,270 16% below national
32 Georgia $103,880 17% below national
33 Michigan $103,230 17% below national
34 Missouri $102,320 18% below national
35 Connecticut $102,270 18% below national
36 Kansas $102,020 18% below national
37 South Carolina $101,570 19% below national
38 Nebraska $98,310 21% below national
39 Wisconsin $97,660 22% below national
40 Utah $85,520 32% below national
41 New Hampshire $73,250 41% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. Albuquerque, NM $163,380 2. Pittsburgh, PA $152,290 3. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $139,220 4. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $138,120 5. Mobile, AL $137,170

Lowest Paying Metros

83. Lansing-East Lansing, MI $66,230 84. Ann Arbor, MI $78,660 85. Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $81,840 86. Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $85,520 87. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $86,820
View all 87 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Albuquerque, NM $163,380 +31% above national
2 Pittsburgh, PA $152,290 +22% above national
3 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $139,220 +11% above national
4 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $138,120 +10% above national
5 Mobile, AL $137,170 +10% above national
6 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $136,870 +9% above national
7 Lake Charles, LA $136,810 +9% above national
8 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $135,110 +8% above national
9 Baton Rouge, LA $134,800 +8% above national
10 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $134,210 +7% above national
11 Rochester, NY $133,740 +7% above national
12 St. Louis, MO-IL $133,450 +7% above national
13 Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area $132,970 +6% above national
14 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $132,820 +6% above national
15 Toledo, OH $132,760 +6% above national
16 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $131,690 +5% above national
17 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $130,520 +4% above national
18 Kennewick-Richland, WA $130,030 +4% above national
19 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $129,850 +4% above national
20 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $129,790 +4% above national
21 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $129,070 +3% above national
22 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $129,060 +3% above national
23 Wichita, KS $128,780 +3% above national
24 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $128,610 +3% above national
25 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $128,110 +2% above national
26 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $127,770 +2% above national
27 Tulsa, OK $127,360 +2% above national
28 West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area $127,310 +2% above national
29 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $126,830 +1% above national
30 Corpus Christi, TX $126,690 +1% above national
31 Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area $126,690 +1% above national
32 Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $125,990 +1% above national
33 Boulder, CO $125,800 +1% above national
34 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $125,200 same as national
35 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $123,860 1% below national
36 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $122,730 2% below national
37 Evansville, IN $120,990 3% below national
38 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $118,010 6% below national
39 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $117,440 6% below national
40 Richmond, VA $117,150 6% below national
41 Kansas nonmetropolitan area $115,930 7% below national
42 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $115,890 7% below national
43 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $114,800 8% below national
44 Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $113,880 9% below national
45 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $112,770 10% below national
46 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $111,980 10% below national
47 Peoria, IL $111,880 11% below national
48 Raleigh-Cary, NC $111,210 11% below national
49 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $110,960 11% below national
50 Columbus, OH $110,860 11% below national
51 Springfield, MA $110,770 11% below national
52 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $110,760 11% below national
53 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $110,000 12% below national
54 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $109,460 12% below national
55 Columbus, IN $109,190 13% below national
56 Decatur, AL $109,160 13% below national
57 Akron, OH $108,710 13% below national
58 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $108,570 13% below national
59 Cleveland, OH $108,350 13% below national
60 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $107,610 14% below national
61 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $107,240 14% below national
62 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $106,950 14% below national
63 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $106,200 15% below national
64 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $104,230 17% below national
65 Worcester, MA $104,060 17% below national
66 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $103,520 17% below national
67 South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area $103,420 17% below national
68 New Haven, CT $102,850 18% below national
69 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $102,590 18% below national
70 Kansas City, MO-KS $102,320 18% below national
71 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $101,750 19% below national
72 Huntsville, AL $101,480 19% below national
73 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $101,410 19% below national
74 Reading, PA $100,190 20% below national
75 Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area $99,040 21% below national
76 Omaha, NE-IA $98,480 21% below national
77 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS $98,350 21% below national
78 Ogden, UT $98,090 22% below national
79 Madison, WI $97,190 22% below national
80 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $96,190 23% below national
81 Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area $93,330 25% below national
82 Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area $90,540 28% below national
83 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $86,820 31% below national
84 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $85,520 32% below national
85 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $81,840 35% below national
86 Ann Arbor, MI $78,660 37% below national
87 Lansing-East Lansing, MI $66,230 47% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 17 (architecture and engineering) with comparable pay and career paths.

Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians

SOC 17-3021

Aerospace Engineers

SOC 17-2011

Agricultural Engineers

SOC 17-2021

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval

SOC 17-1011

Architectural and Civil Drafters

SOC 17-3011
Compare Chemical Engineers side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Chemical Engineers make? ▼
The median annual salary for Chemical Engineers is $125,040 ($60.12/hour). The salary range spans from $79,420 at the 10th percentile to $182,880 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Chemical Engineers the most? ▼
New Mexico pays the highest median salary for Chemical Engineers at $158,190/year, which is +27% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Chemical Engineers? ▼
The typical entry-level education for Chemical Engineers is Bachelor's degree.
How dangerous is being a Chemical Engineers? ▼
Chemical Engineers has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 2 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 0.5 per 100 workers.
Is Chemical Engineers a good career? ▼
Employment for Chemical Engineers is projected to grow 2.6% from 2024 to 2034, which is slower than average. About 1,100 openings are projected each year.
How does Chemical Engineers pay vary by state? ▼
Chemical Engineers salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is New Mexico at $158,190/year, while South Carolina pays the least at $101,570/year. BLS data covers 41 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Chemical Engineers? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for Chemical Engineers is Albuquerque, NM at $163,380/year. BLS reports wage data for 87 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Chemical Engineers pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $157,190/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: New Mexico leads at $158,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.