occupation · 19-2031 · detailed
Chemists — wages and employment
Chemists earned a median annual wage of $84,150 in the United States in May 2024, with 83,250 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Chemists earned a median annual wage of $84,150 in the United States in May 2024, with 83,250 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $53,210 or less, the best-paid tenth $154,430 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $84,680 to $84,150, -0.6 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $153,320; the lowest Maine at $58,750. Among metropolitan areas, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV pays the highest median, $145,430. 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 | 83,250 | $84,150 | $95,940 | $53,210 | $63,930 | $120,210 | $154,430 | $40.46 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 83,530 | $84,680 | $95,560 | $52,950 | $64,940 | $118,800 | $149,550 | $40.71 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $153,320 | 250 |
| New Mexico | $134,370 | 210 |
| Maryland | $131,910 | 3,000 |
| Massachusetts | $126,970 | 3,340 |
| Delaware | $125,430 | 1,180 |
| Louisiana | $109,150 | 630 |
| West Virginia | $108,010 | 270 |
| Texas | $101,260 | 5,490 |
| Virginia | $99,810 | 1,340 |
| Colorado | $97,380 | 1,820 |
| Rhode Island | $97,300 | 120 |
| Illinois | $97,170 | 3,250 |
| California | $97,010 | 8,480 |
| Alabama | $96,000 | 630 |
| Alaska | $95,300 | 40 |
| Georgia | $94,890 | 1,080 |
| Washington | $92,860 | 1,780 |
| Connecticut | $88,340 | 830 |
| New Jersey | $85,010 | 6,210 |
| Oregon | $84,150 | 600 |
| New York | $83,690 | 4,040 |
| Hawaii | $83,200 | 140 |
| Minnesota | $82,040 | 1,320 |
| Iowa | $81,830 | 600 |
| New Hampshire | $81,780 | 320 |
| Missouri | $81,720 | 1,750 |
| Vermont | $81,460 | 90 |
| Michigan | $81,410 | 3,200 |
| Ohio | $80,360 | 4,020 |
| Oklahoma | $79,990 | 690 |
| Kentucky | $79,800 | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79,350 | 140 |
| Arizona | $79,330 | 870 |
| North Carolina | $78,400 | 5,140 |
| Mississippi | $78,260 | 170 |
| South Carolina | $77,900 | 800 |
| Utah | $77,270 | 740 |
| Wyoming | $76,570 | 60 |
| Indiana | $75,880 | 2,070 |
| Wisconsin | $75,020 | 1,990 |
| Florida | $74,860 | 1,660 |
| Nevada | $72,810 | 190 |
| Puerto Rico | $71,830 | 750 |
| Arkansas | $71,080 | 390 |
| Nebraska | $67,880 | 360 |
| Kansas | $66,310 | 580 |
| Tennessee | $65,340 | 820 |
| South Dakota | $64,480 | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,450 | 9,070 |
| Montana | $60,100 | 260 |
| Idaho | $59,460 | 360 |
| Maine | $58,750 | 160 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $145,430 | 2,640 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $137,740 | 160 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $130,830 | 2,870 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $130,770 | 160 |
| Midland, MI | $129,700 | 310 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $127,860 | 220 |
| Huntsville, AL | $127,070 | 120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $126,190 | 2,040 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $125,820 | 50 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $124,440 | 40 |
| Peoria, IL | $122,950 | 120 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $115,030 | 140 |
| Midland, TX | $111,830 | 60 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $110,300 | 2,640 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $109,960 | 500 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $109,260 | 80 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $108,460 | 90 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $107,100 | 70 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $104,870 | 840 |
| Springfield, MA | $104,000 | 50 |
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