Chemical Engineers pay in the U.S.
$129,980avg. a year
$62.49 an hour · 21,070 employed
Chemical Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $129,980 a year and a median of $125,040. Pay is highest in New Mexico ($147,420) and lowest in New Hampshire ($90,810).
$125,040Median pay
$62.49Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
21,070Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for chemical engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1160 jobs
New Mexico
$147,420
$70.88 an hour
22,610 jobs
Texas
$144,350
$69.40 an hour
3730 jobs
Louisiana
$135,190
$65.00 an hour
4110 jobs
Oklahoma
$135,010
$64.91 an hour
5650 jobs
Washington
$134,910
$64.86 an hour
6160 jobs
West Virginia
$134,630
$64.72 an hour
7790 jobs
Virginia
$133,340
$64.11 an hour
8370 jobs
Delaware
$131,390
$63.17 an hour
9210 jobs
Minnesota
$130,240
$62.61 an hour
10440 jobs
New Jersey
$129,080
$62.06 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chemical Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $114k$114k–$122k$122k–$129k$129k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $155,750 | $74.88 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $147,410 | $70.87 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $144,900 | $69.66 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $142,640 | $68.58 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $141,730 | $68.14 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $141,510 | $68.03 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $139,830 | $67.23 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $139,050 | $66.85 |
Related jobs
- Civil Engineers$108,670
- Industrial Engineers$109,900
- Mechanical Engineers$113,610
- Electrical Engineers$125,100
- Engineers, All Other$125,330
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$137,280
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Chemical Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $124,470 | $135,030 | 600 |
| Alaska | $121,780 | $106,080 | – |
| Arkansas | $114,140 | $105,270 | 290 |
| Colorado | $126,060 | $125,800 | 720 |
| Connecticut | $114,410 | $102,270 | 410 |
| Delaware | $131,390 | $133,670 | 370 |
| Florida | $113,080 | $109,000 | 230 |
| Georgia | $112,180 | $103,880 | 330 |
| Idaho | $128,840 | $106,740 | 140 |
| Illinois | $123,570 | $121,560 | 520 |
| Indiana | $114,590 | $113,160 | 720 |
| Iowa | $112,070 | $117,590 | 40 |
| Kansas | $115,070 | $102,020 | 280 |
| Kentucky | $122,160 | $117,170 | 190 |
| Louisiana | $135,190 | $134,800 | 730 |
| Maryland | $128,790 | $127,190 | 500 |
| Massachusetts | $118,170 | $118,000 | 1,460 |
| Michigan | $105,570 | $103,230 | 670 |
| Minnesota | $130,240 | $107,670 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $113,460 | $106,740 | 150 |
| Missouri | $119,110 | $102,320 | 320 |
| Montana | $126,310 | $127,490 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $107,760 | $98,310 | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $90,810 | $73,250 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $129,080 | $126,760 | 440 |
| New Mexico | $147,420 | $158,190 | 160 |
| New York | $120,480 | $129,060 | 540 |
| North Carolina | $123,550 | $117,410 | 380 |
| North Dakota | $117,040 | $115,400 | 80 |
| Ohio | $118,710 | $111,200 | 1,030 |
| Oklahoma | $135,010 | $127,790 | 110 |
| Oregon | $121,660 | $116,950 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,520 | $116,970 | 810 |
| Rhode Island | $115,030 | $111,590 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $106,920 | $101,570 | 390 |
| Texas | $144,350 | $132,750 | 2,610 |
| Utah | $96,460 | $85,520 | – |
| Virginia | $133,340 | $136,380 | 790 |
| Washington | $134,910 | $128,290 | 650 |
| West Virginia | $134,630 | $129,210 | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $98,440 | $97,660 | 110 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$155,750
1,510 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$117,840
910 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$128,970
790 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$135,740
640 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$126,240
510 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$127,710
410 jobsKansas City, MO-KS
$115,280
380 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$121,240
370 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do chemical engineers make?
The average is $129,980 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $125,040 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $62.49, and the median is $60.12 an hour.
Which state pays chemical engineers the most?
New Mexico, with an average of $147,420 a year. The best-paying metro area is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $155,750.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $79,420 a year, and the top 10% earn over $182,880.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-2041. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.