occupation · 17-2041 · detailed
Chemical Engineers — wages and employment
Chemical Engineers earned a median annual wage of $121,860 in the United States in May 2024, with 20,330 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Chemical Engineers earned a median annual wage of $121,860 in the United States in May 2024, with 20,330 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $78,520 or less, the best-paid tenth $182,150 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $112,100 to $121,860, +8.7 %. The best-paying state is Oklahoma at $160,990; the lowest Nevada at $78,220. Among metropolitan areas, Tulsa, OK pays the highest median, $169,250. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 20,330 | $121,860 | $128,430 | $78,520 | $96,040 | $152,290 | $182,150 | $58.59 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 21,140 | $112,100 | $122,910 | $75,650 | $91,630 | $142,810 | $176,420 | $53.90 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $160,990 | 190 |
| New Mexico | $147,290 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $139,730 | 210 |
| Texas | $135,160 | 2,780 |
| Virginia | $132,550 | 1,020 |
| New York | $132,480 | 560 |
| Colorado | $131,740 | 850 |
| Delaware | $131,330 | 390 |
| Louisiana | $131,180 | 780 |
| Washington | $130,830 | 600 |
| Maryland | $129,710 | 560 |
| North Dakota | $127,970 | 60 |
| Arizona | $125,050 | 170 |
| Illinois | $120,360 | 490 |
| Massachusetts | $119,260 | 1,140 |
| New Jersey | $118,340 | 480 |
| Oregon | $115,800 | 210 |
| Indiana | $115,570 | 330 |
| Ohio | $115,190 | 1,100 |
| Minnesota | $114,060 | 180 |
| Kentucky | $112,390 | 230 |
| Tennessee | $110,150 | 450 |
| North Carolina | $109,940 | 450 |
| Kansas | $107,200 | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $107,040 | 970 |
| Idaho | $106,980 | 160 |
| Michigan | $106,690 | 780 |
| Alaska | $106,360 | — |
| Nebraska | $105,560 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $104,660 | 290 |
| Florida | $104,000 | 180 |
| Alabama | $103,620 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $102,470 | 150 |
| Georgia | $102,360 | 340 |
| Iowa | $101,080 | 60 |
| Missouri | $101,010 | 450 |
| Montana | $100,900 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $99,990 | 380 |
| Arkansas | $99,020 | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $92,530 | 210 |
| Rhode Island | $91,770 | 40 |
| Utah | $80,820 | — |
| Nevada | $78,220 | 50 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | $169,250 | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $152,290 | 1,800 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $151,360 | 210 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $140,900 | 550 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $139,560 | 300 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $135,860 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $135,830 | 150 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $135,820 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $135,610 | 80 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $133,880 | 170 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $133,210 | 110 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $133,070 | 190 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $132,670 | 70 |
| Rochester, NY | $132,480 | — |
| Columbus, IN | $131,510 | 60 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $131,320 | 50 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $130,350 | 370 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $129,930 | 120 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,040 | 870 |
| Toledo, OH | $129,010 | 90 |
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