The salary of a Chemist I in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of January 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Chemist I in the United States is $71,542. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $62,715 to $80,381, with most professionals earning between $54,679 and $88,428.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $80,381 | $6,698 | $1,546 | $39 |
| Average | $71,542 | $5,962 | $1,376 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,715 | $5,226 | $1,206 | $30 |
An entry-level Chemist I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $67,186. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $68,008. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $69,961. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $70,351, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $70,612.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Chemist I | $67,186 |
| Intermediate Level Chemist I | $68,008 |
| Senior Level Chemist I | $69,961 |
| Specialist Level Chemist I | $70,351 |
| Expert Level Chemist I | $70,612 |
| Entry Level | 6% |
| Mid Level | 5% |
| Senior Level | 2% |
| Top Level | 2% |
| Experienced | 1% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of January 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Chemist I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $54,738 in 2023 to approximately $54,710 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Chemist I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Chemist I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Chemist I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Chemist I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $71,542 | 67.8% | ||
| Bonus | $2,374 | 2.2% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $5,655 | 5.4% | ||
| 401K/403B | $3,105 | 2.9% | ||
| Disability | $1,478 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 7.9% | ||
| Pension | $3,992 | 3.8% | ||
| Time Off | $9,097 | 8.6% | ||
| Total Compensation | $105,595 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 0.5% |
| High School | 0.7% |
| Associates | 1.7% |
| Bachelors | 73.1% |
| Masters | 16.4% |
| Doctorate | 7.6% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Chemist I is $71,542. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Chemist I is $34; the average weekly pay of Chemist I is $1,376; the average monthly pay of Chemist I is $5,962.
A Chemist I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Chemist I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Chemist I is $89,786.
The highest pay for Chemist I is $88,428.
The lowest pay for Chemist I is $54,679.
Chemist I evaluates the chemical and physical properties of various organic and inorganic substances. Utilizes established methods and procedures and laboratory equipment to perform analytical testing of substances. Being a Chemist I prepares compounds, reagents and solutions. Develop and write technical reports of testing results. Additionally, Chemist I requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. To be a Chemist I typically requires 0-2 years of related experience. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Work is closely managed.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Analytical Chemistry: Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods used to separate, identify, and quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the entire analysis or be combined with another method. Separation isolates analytes. Qualitative analysis identifies analytes, while quantitative analysis determines the numerical amount or concentration. Analytical chemistry consists of classical, wet chemical methods and modern, instrumental methods. Classical qualitative methods use separations such as precipitation, extraction, and distillation. Identification may be based on differences in color, odor, melting point, boiling point, radioactivity or reactivity. Classical quantitative analysis uses mass or volume changes to quantify amount. Instrumental methods may be used to separate samples using chromatography, electrophoresis or field flow fractionation. Then qualitative and quantitative analysis can be performed, often with the same instrument and may use light interaction, heat interaction, electric fields or magnetic fields. Often the same instrument can separate, identify and quantify an analyte.
Material Science: Analyzing the properties of materials and using that information to build various products.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
