Chemist Salary

Chemists earn a median $91,240 a year nationally. Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

U.S. median

$91,240

$43.87 per hour

Range

$58,460 – $160,830

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

82,770

across the U.S.

Chemist take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$73,017

per year · effective tax rate 20.0%

$6,085Monthly

$3,042Twice a month

$2,808Every 2 weeks

$35.10Hourly

Federal income tax$11,243
Social Security (6.2%)$5,657
Medicare (1.45%)$1,323
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$73,017

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$58,460	$28.11	$49,153
25th percentile	$69,460	$33.39	$57,695
Median (50th)	$91,240	$43.87	$73,017
75th percentile	$125,550	$60.36	$97,079
90th percentile (top earners)	$160,830	$77.32	$121,193

Best cities for chemists (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	Washington, DC	$144,680	$100,825	$92,599	2,490
2	Boston, MA	$127,290	$92,124	$85,091	2,960
3	Houston, TX	$106,740	$83,922	$85,088	2,430
4	Baltimore, MD	$118,880	$87,148	$83,406	610
5	Cincinnati, OH	$96,170	$74,623	$78,246	930
6	San Francisco, CA	$127,790	$89,294	$77,236	2,180
7	Columbus, OH	$94,170	$73,271	$76,749	1,170
8	Boulder, CO	$105,590	$79,175	$75,260	500
9	San Jose, CA	$114,890	$81,706	$73,994	580
10	Atlanta, GA	$97,930	$73,264	$73,222	730
11	Denver, CO	$102,390	$77,065	$72,852	820
12	Philadelphia, PA	$95,440	$73,042	$71,223	4,520
13	Charlotte, NC	$88,890	$68,326	$70,188	650
14	St. Louis, MO	$86,690	$66,679	$70,124	1,040
15	Minneapolis, MN	$99,280	$73,446	$70,067	1,420
16	Kansas City, MO	$83,420	$64,533	$69,733	550
17	Cleveland, OH	$82,020	$65,058	$69,267	680
18	Raleigh, NC	$84,150	$65,181	$66,404	740
19	Chicago, IL	$90,920	$68,436	$66,062	2,630
20	Detroit, MI	$85,770	$65,775	$65,579	1,250
21	Durham, NC	$81,580	$63,475	$65,055	1,140
22	Indianapolis, IN	$78,770	$61,950	$64,737	1,310
23	Riverside, CA	$92,660	$68,424	$64,283	480
24	Dallas, TX	$81,270	$66,003	$64,025	850
25	Seattle, WA	$87,990	$70,731	$63,645	1,090

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Washington, DC — $144,680
San Francisco, CA — $127,790
Boston, MA — $127,290
Baltimore, MD — $118,880
San Jose, CA — $114,890
Houston, TX — $106,740
Boulder, CO — $105,590
Denver, CO — $102,390
Minneapolis, MN — $99,280
Atlanta, GA — $97,930
Cincinnati, OH — $96,170
Philadelphia, PA — $95,440
San Diego, CA — $95,160
Columbus, OH — $94,170
Riverside, CA — $92,660

Chemist salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
District of Columbia	$149,860	$103,926	$101,400 – $195,190	280
Maryland	$140,670	$100,988	$75,430 – $195,190	2,480
Delaware	$129,860	$92,796	$80,500 – $170,290	1,200
New Mexico	$126,960	$93,153	$59,490 – $212,940	280
Massachusetts	$125,000	$90,674	$71,120 – $212,210	3,430
Alaska	$106,010	$83,408	$61,840 – $140,800	60
Oregon	$104,590	$74,087	$70,320 – $157,700	730
Louisiana	$103,890	$79,186	$58,310 – $168,460	740
Wyoming	$102,000	$80,587	$52,150 – $127,120	80
Colorado	$101,980	$76,794	$61,260 – $162,680	1,790
Rhode Island	$101,660	$77,121	$70,210 – $146,830	150
New Hampshire	$100,050	$79,215	$58,260 – $133,960	300
Texas	$99,640	$78,927	$58,850 – $170,250	5,130
Minnesota	$99,280	$73,446	$60,010 – $158,540	1,680
Connecticut	$98,140	$74,049	$65,230 – $144,740	1,170
California	$97,860	$71,531	$60,930 – $164,150	9,820
Alabama	$97,830	$73,027	$61,050 – $150,410	700
Michigan	$97,440	$73,489	$56,260 – $164,200	3,490
Washington	$97,420	$77,365	$62,690 – $165,090	2,280
North Dakota	$97,330	$76,663	$52,050 – $132,330	160
Virginia	$96,650	$72,080	$52,870 – $166,230	1,640
Georgia	$92,750	$69,889	$56,760 – $144,870	1,260
New York	$90,600	$68,262	$61,100 – $155,190	4,230
Tennessee	$87,930	$70,689	$48,530 – $132,630	960
Vermont	$86,120	$66,192	$68,640 – $128,420	80
Iowa	$86,100	$66,781	$65,270 – $137,560	570
West Virginia	$85,560	$65,832	$59,600 – $132,380	180
Ohio	$85,270	$67,255	$59,010 – $134,820	4,010
Illinois	$85,230	$64,715	$60,740 – $141,310	3,040
New Jersey	$84,450	$65,051	$60,910 – $144,030	5,280
Hawaii	$84,150	$63,164	$63,080 – $126,070	140
Kentucky	$84,090	$65,162	$54,950 – $126,060	530
Kansas	$82,820	$63,272	$53,360 – $132,460	690
Missouri	$82,800	$64,126	$48,240 – $134,940	1,640
Florida	$82,740	$67,038	$50,200 – $150,840	1,490
North Carolina	$82,620	$64,165	$58,170 – $132,020	4,530
Arizona	$81,730	$64,493	$53,520 – $135,940	870
Nevada	$81,170	$65,933	$49,220 – $130,800	280
Utah	$80,770	$62,983	$54,350 – $129,990	910
Mississippi	$80,060	$62,682	$52,060 – $130,560	200
South Carolina	$79,670	$61,255	$54,420 – $139,570	770
Indiana	$78,770	$61,950	$56,960 – $133,140	2,480
Wisconsin	$78,730	$61,424	$52,020 – $109,450	1,920
Idaho	$78,000	$60,677	$37,230 – $134,850	320
Pennsylvania	$77,090	$60,696	$49,800 – $144,860	6,800
Arkansas	$75,570	$59,259	$46,600 – $131,620	380
Oklahoma	$74,960	$58,737	$48,520 – $112,920	630
Nebraska	$74,890	$58,987	$62,280 – $128,510	350
South Dakota	$67,440	$56,274	$51,270 – $101,030	170
Maine	$64,440	$50,790	$50,640 – $100,360	140
Montana	$61,890	$49,756	$44,260 – $115,390	300

Frequently asked questions

How much does a chemist make?

The national median salary for chemists is $91,240 a year ($43.87 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,460 and the top 10% earn over $160,830. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays chemists the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $149,860. After taxes and local prices, Washington, DC offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many chemists are there in the U.S.?

About 82,770 people work as chemists nationwide.