The average salary for a chemical engineer in the United States is around $75,008 per year.
Avg Salary
This is 31% above the national average. Updated in 2017.
Chemical engineers earn an average yearly salary of $75,008. Wages typically start from $64,034 and go up to $116,532.
Chemical engineer earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Chemical engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Texas | $112,820 |
| Delaware | $119,160 |
| Arizona | $104,100 |
| District of Columbia | $116,710 |
| Louisiana | $105,190 |
| Maryland | $112,820 |
| Idaho | $102,340 |
| Virginia | $105,020 |
| New Mexico | $109,470 |
| Kansas | $99,910 |
| Alabama | $104,490 |
| Florida | $88,250 |
| California | $99,500 |
| New Jersey | $98,320 |
| Oklahoma | $98,530 |
| West Virginia | $98,100 |
| Wyoming | $100,530 |
| Washington | $101,390 |
| Massachusetts | $93,960 |
| Mississippi | $98,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,890 |
| Missouri | $94,370 |
| Tennessee | $95,270 |
| Nevada | $92,850 |
| Connecticut | $93,720 |
| New York | $93,690 |
| Rhode Island | $88,940 |
| Illinois | $87,210 |
| Michigan | $93,780 |
| Wisconsin | $89,890 |
| Colorado | $88,890 |
| Georgia | $90,170 |
| New Hampshire | $92,540 |
| North Dakota | $88,820 |
| Iowa | $87,470 |
| Maine | $94,120 |
| Oregon | $88,670 |
| Indiana | $88,430 |
| North Carolina | $87,480 |
| Kentucky | $85,580 |
| South Carolina | $79,670 |
| Ohio | $86,540 |
| Nebraska | $78,260 |
| Minnesota | $77,020 |
| Arkansas | $76,880 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,590 |
How much does a Chemical Engineer earn?
Chemical engineering offers one of the highest paying careers for both entry level and experienced chemical engineers. The median annual wage for chemical engineers was $96,940 in May 2014. Chemical engineers can earn good salaries straight out of school, but years of experience or higher education can double the salary rate.
Consider this salary survey based on experience from PayScale.com:
Chemical Engineer < 1 Year Experience: $51,710 - $66,286
Chemical Engineer with 1-4 Years Experience: $56,206 - $70,414
Chemical Engineer with 5-9 Years Experience: $64,618 - $84,199
Chemical Engineer with 10-19 Years Experience: $74,546 - $101,299
Chemical Engineer with More than 20 Years Experience: $83,304 - $126,418
In May 2014, the median annual wages for chemical engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing - $112,670
Basic chemical manufacturing - $100,530
Resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial synthetic fibres and filaments manufacturing - $100,040
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences - $98,860
Engineering services - $96,950
How do chemical engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Chemical engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than software engineers but more than software quality assurance engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Software engineer salary | $78K |
| Computer systems engineer salary | $66K |
| Product safety engineer salary | $89K |
| Water engineer salary | $87K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $81K |
| Chemical engineer salary | $75K |
| Electrical engineer salary | $73K |
| Ship engineer salary | $73K |
| Agricultural engineer salary | $75K |
| Software quality assurance engineer salary | $60K |
