What are the main factors that influence a Sr Chemist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Sr Chemist's salary?

A Sr Chemist's salary grows with experience: a Chemist I (0-2 years)earns $67,216, a Sr Chemist (2-4 years)earns $83,328, a Chemist III (4-7 years)earns $101,004, a Chemist IV (7+ years)earns $132,437, a Chemist V (7-10 years)earns $154,702,

What are the highest paying states for a Sr Chemist?

Sr Chemist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Sr Chemist roles are District of Columbia $89,605, California $89,265, Massachusetts $88,075. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Sr Chemist roles make?

Salaries for Sr Chemist level roles vary by specialization: Expert Chemist: $150,300; Chemist V: $150,254; Specialist Chemist: $128,700; Chemist IV: $128,630; Chemist: $99,775.

How do different companies affect a Sr Chemist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Sr Chemist roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Sr Chemist Salary in the United States

How much does a Sr Chemist make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sr Chemist in the United States is $80,929 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

However, a Sr Chemist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $96,394
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,418 to $89,024
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $58,937

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Sr Chemist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,024	$7,419	$1,712	$43
Average	$80,929	$6,744	$1,556	$39
25th Percentile	$69,418	$5,785	$1,335	$33

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Key Factors That Influence Sr Chemist Salaries

A Sr Chemist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Sr Chemist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Sr Chemist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $67,216
Early Career (1-2 years): $83,328
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $101,004
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $132,437
Expert (over 8 years): $154,702

Levels	Salary
Chemist I... Level Sr Chemist	$67,216
Sr Chemis... Level Sr Chemist	$83,328
Chemist I... Level Sr Chemist	$101,004
Chemist I... Level Sr Chemist	$132,437
Chemist V... Level Sr Chemist	$154,702

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Sr Chemist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Sr Chemists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $89,605.
California: $89,265.
Massachusetts: $88,075.

District of Columbia $89,605

California $89,265

Massachusetts $88,075

Washington $87,752

New Jersey $87,719

Alaska $87,606

Connecticut $86,489

New York $86,036

Hawaii $84,587

Rhode Island $83,908

Maryland $83,446

Minnesota $82,815

Colorado $82,572

Illinois $82,491

Oregon $82,184

Delaware $81,957

New Hampshire $81,815

Virginia $81,496

Pennsylvania $80,565

Nevada $80,096

North Dakota $79,942

Michigan $79,699

Wisconsin $79,610

Vermont $79,432

Texas $78,939

Maine $78,906

Arizona $78,858

Ohio $78,801

Georgia $78,056

Indiana $77,684

Wyoming $77,611

Utah $77,498

Iowa $77,449

Kansas $77,061

Louisiana $76,948

North Carolina $76,907

Missouri $76,891

Florida $76,575

Montana $76,405

Nebraska $76,244

Kentucky $76,155

South Carolina $75,831

Tennessee $75,629

Idaho $75,548

New Mexico $74,957

Oklahoma $74,827

Alabama $74,350

South Dakota $73,549

Arkansas $73,112

West Virginia $72,877

Mississippi $72,173

Top Paying Cities for Sr Chemists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $102,076
San Francisco: $100,959
Oakland: $98,831

San Jose, CA $102,076

San Francisco, CA $100,959

Oakland, CA $98,831

New York, NY $93,181

Paramus, NJ $92,048

Queens Village, NY $92,044

Passaic, NJ $91,967

Bergenfield, NJ $91,960

Stamford, CT $91,782

Huntington, NY $91,749

Newark, NJ $91,151

Bridgeport, CT $90,980

Vallejo, CA $90,819

New Brunswick, NJ $90,787

Petaluma, CA $90,738

Middlesex, NJ $90,584

Somerset, NJ $90,528

Santa Cruz, CA $90,422

Boston, MA $89,929

Monterey, CA $89,645

Seattle, WA $89,459

Santa Rosa, CA $89,443

Los Angeles, CA $89,419

Juneau, AK $89,208

Washington, DC $89,119

Orange, CA $88,831

Santa Ana, CA $88,618

Long Beach, CA $88,537

Anaheim, CA $88,521

Anchorage, AK $88,480

Santa Maria, CA $88,237

Everett, WA $88,221

Danbury, CT $87,936

Bremerton, WA $87,825

Tacoma, WA $87,533

New Suffolk, NY $87,532

Sacramento, CA $87,509

Santa Barbara, CA $87,420

Trenton, NJ $87,331

San Diego, CA $87,331

Brockton, MA $87,242

Fairbanks, AK $87,044

Lompoc, CA $86,837

Lowell, MA $86,772

Ventura, CA $86,756

Nashua, NH $86,740

Stockton, CA $86,732

Modesto, CA $86,141

Poughkeepsie, NY $85,963

Olympia, WA $85,809

Kennewick, WA $85,809

New Haven, CT $85,777

Lawrence, MA $85,486

Hartford, CT $85,405

Riverside, CA $85,389

New Bedford, MA $85,308

Richland, WA $85,308

Bakersfield, CA $85,194

San Bernardino, CA $85,162

New Britain, CT $85,154

Atlantic City, NJ $85,154

New London, CT $85,122

Norwich, CT $85,097

Portsmouth, NH $85,081

Boulder, CO $84,910

Portland, OR $84,798

Worcester, MA $84,790

Minneapolis, MN $84,539

Philadelphia, PA $84,426

Honolulu, HI $84,158

Saint Paul, MN $84,120

Vineland, NJ $84,102

Providence, RI $83,867

Chicago, IL $83,632

Bellingham, WA $83,535

Springfield, MA $83,471

Baltimore, MD $83,446

Chico, CA $83,244

Pittsfield, MA $83,025

Manchester, NH $82,872

Spokane, WA $82,516

Denver, CO $82,508

Albany, NY $82,127

Troy, NY $82,095

Nassau, NY $82,008

Schenectady, NY $81,925

Wilmington, DE $81,860

Burlington, VT $81,747

Salem, OR $81,714

Portland, ME $81,464

Yakima, WA $81,383

Rochester, MN $81,132

Reno, NV $81,091

Fresno, CA $81,091

Milwaukee, WI $81,018

Detroit, MI $80,937

Ann Arbor, MI $80,924

Allentown, PA $80,913

Colorado Springs, CO $80,776

Syracuse, NY $80,735

Carson City, NV $80,735

Houston, TX $80,622

Eugene, OR $80,581

Gary, IN $80,484

Springfield, OR $80,420

Bismarck, ND $80,403

Galveston, TX $80,347

Medford, OR $80,225

Fort Collins, CO $80,193

Concord, NH $80,152

Austin, TX $80,128

Mesa, AZ $79,958

Reading, PA $79,950

Phoenix, AZ $79,942

Dallas, TX $79,918

Saint Cloud, MN $79,840

Madison, WI $79,732

Utica, NY $79,513

Rochester, NY $79,384

Des Moines, IA $79,376

Raleigh, NC $79,367

Atlanta, GA $79,246

Battle Creek, MI $79,222

Salt Lake City, UT $79,198

Lancaster, PA $79,076

Harrisburg, PA $78,963

Kansas City, MO $78,882

Champaign, IL $78,866

Kansas City, KS $78,866

Fort Worth, TX $78,858

Columbus, OH $78,844

Boca Raton, FL $78,825

Pittsburgh, PA $78,793

Richmond, VA $78,760

Indianapolis, IN $78,744

Cleveland, OH $78,736

Las Vegas, NV $78,639

Cincinnati, OH $78,639

Petersburg, VA $78,518

Huntsville, AL $78,396

Lansing, MI $78,342

Lebanon, PA $78,332

Pueblo, CO $78,323

Appleton, WI $78,299

Buffalo, NY $78,267

Dayton, OH $78,243

Racine, WI $78,226

Charlotte, NC $78,218

Saint Louis, MO $78,194

York, PA $78,145

Elkhart, IN $78,145

Gastonia, NC $78,130

Billings, MT $78,111

Beaumont, TX $78,089

Lorain, OH $78,073

Benton Harbor, MI $78,056

Toledo, OH $78,040

Binghamton, NY $78,000

Rock Hill, SC $77,992

Rockford, IL $77,951

Springfield, IL $77,919

Elyria, OH $77,911

Fargo, ND $77,911

Flagstaff, AZ $77,854

Fort Lauderdale, FL $77,806

Duluth, MN $77,757

Miami, FL $77,757

Cheyenne, WY $77,700

Grand Forks, ND $77,700

Bangor, ME $77,522

Cedar Rapids, IA $77,433

Durham, NC $77,399

Louisville, KY $77,393

Grand Rapids, MI $77,377

Hialeah, FL $77,369

Casper, WY $77,255

Scranton, PA $77,158

New Orleans, LA $77,134

Virginia Beach, VA $77,126

Akron, OH $77,085

Peoria, IL $76,980

Sarasota, FL $76,964

Nashville, TN $76,907

Omaha, NE $76,907

Green Bay, WI $76,907

Baton Rouge, LA $76,867

Charleston, SC $76,851

Jamestown, NY $76,810

Davenport, IA $76,810

Tucson, AZ $76,770

Saint Petersburg, FL $76,721

Tampa, FL $76,705

Evansville, IN $76,656

Port Arthur, TX $76,656

Bradenton, FL $76,624

Santa Fe, NM $76,478

Orlando, FL $76,333

Clearwater, FL $76,308

Canton, OH $76,138

La Crosse, WI $76,138

Albuquerque, NM $76,090

Newport News, VA $76,082

High Point, NC $76,057

Ogden, UT $76,025

Corpus Christi, TX $75,960

Norfolk, VA $75,912

Laramie, WY $75,912

Rock Island, IL $75,863

Saginaw, MI $75,847

Jacksonville, FL $75,839

Salisbury, NC $75,823

Boise, ID $75,807

Moline, IL $75,766

Fort Myers, FL $75,742

Memphis, TN $75,726

Tulsa, OK $75,685

Waterloo, IA $75,637

Spartanburg, SC $75,556

Lincoln, NE $75,515

Fort Wayne, IN $75,499

Provo, UT $75,491

Cedar Falls, IA $75,394

San Antonio, TX $75,361

Greensboro, NC $75,329

South Bend, IN $75,321

Savannah, GA $75,232

Muskegon, MI $75,200

Birmingham, AL $75,192

Winston Salem, NC $75,152

Lake Charles, LA $74,957

Anderson, IN $74,941

Lexington, KY $74,916

Augusta, GA $74,892

Greenville, SC $74,892

Lima, OH $74,827

Wichita, KS $74,819

Tuscaloosa, AL $74,819

Columbia, SC $74,746

Springfield, OH $74,730

Asheville, NC $74,601

Bloomington, IN $74,544

Knoxville, TN $74,253

Shreveport, LA $74,245

Wilmington, NC $74,139

Roanoke, VA $74,139

Topeka, KS $73,994

Frankfort, KY $73,985

Oklahoma City, OK $73,929

Chillicothe, OH $73,897

Longview, TX $73,889

Melbourne, FL $73,880

Sioux Falls, SD $73,751

Mobile, AL $73,743

Terre Haute, IN $73,710

Altoona, PA $73,662

Amarillo, TX $73,605

Killeen, TX $73,581

Fayetteville, AR $73,516

Chattanooga, TN $73,492

Sioux City, IA $73,419

Idaho Falls, ID $73,403

Lynchburg, VA $73,338

Gainesville, FL $73,233

Portsmouth, OH $73,193

Little Rock, AR $73,176

Lafayette, LA $73,144

Youngstown, OH $73,144

Daytona Beach, FL $73,095

Clarksville, TN $73,087

Pensacola, FL $73,079

Temple, TX $73,074

Hopkinsville, KY $72,836

Erie, PA $72,820

Florence, SC $72,788

Charleston, WV $72,658

Great Falls, MT $72,618

Macon, GA $72,505

Tallahassee, FL $72,497

Fayetteville, NC $72,480

Waco, TX $72,464

Helena, MT $72,408

Pine Bluff, AR $72,377

Vincennes, IN $72,278

Lubbock, TX $72,246

Alamogordo, NM $72,197

Twin Falls, ID $72,124

Rapid City, SD $72,100

Jackson, MS $71,954

Huntington, WV $71,949

Greenville, MS $71,946

Parkersburg, WV $71,864

Montgomery, AL $71,849

Wichita Falls, TX $71,768

Springfield, MO $71,768

Biloxi, MS $71,728

Monroe, LA $71,647

Johnstown, PA $71,590

Sumter, SC $71,558

Columbus, GA $71,550

Pascagoula, MS $71,396

Abilene, TX $71,396

Kingsport, TN $71,186

Albany, GA $71,186

Gulfport, MS $71,161

Alexandria, LA $70,894

Fort Smith, AR $70,692

El Paso, TX $70,473

Las Cruces, NM $70,109

Harlingen, TX $69,904

Pocatello, ID $69,891

Florence, AL $69,785

Brownsville, TX $69,769

Mcallen, TX $69,599

Dothan, AL $69,486

Columbus, MS $69,005

Altus, OK $68,628

Lawton, OK $68,474

Pierre, SD $68,183

What Skills Can Increase a Sr Chemist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 13.39% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Calibration (Mentioned in 2.82% Job Postings): In measurement technology and metrology, calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Such a standard could be another measurement device of known accuracy, a device generating the quantity to be measured such as a voltage, a sound tone, or a physical artefact, such as a metre ruler. The outcome of the comparison can result in one of the following: no significant error being noted on the device under test a significant error being noted but no adjustment made an adjustment made to correct the error to an acceptable levelStrictly speaking, the term "calibration" means just the act of comparison, and does not include any subsequent adjustment. The calibration standard is normally traceable to a national standard held by a national metrological body.
LIMS (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is software that allows you to effectively manage samples and associated data.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	13.39%
Calibration	2.82%
LIMS	1.56%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Sr Chemist's salary.

Authenticity: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Clinical Diagnostic: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Authenticity	$84,976	5%
Collaboration	$84,976	5%
Clinical Diagnostic	$84,167	4%
Presentation	$84,167	4%
Leadership	$83,357	3%
Material Science	$83,357	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Sr Chemist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Sr Chemists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Sr Chemist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $80,183 and $85,677).

Sr Chemist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Sr Chemist

No Diploma 0.6%

High School 0.6%

Associates 0.9%

Bachelors 62.3%

Masters 27.3%

Doctorate 8.9%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.6%
High School	0.6%
Associates	0.9%
Bachelors	62.3%
Masters	27.3%
Doctorate	8.9%

view as graph

Sr Chemist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Sr Chemist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$69,418

Average $80,929/year

$89,024

$5,785

Average $6,744/month

$7,419

$1,335

Average $1,556/week

$1,712

$33

Average $39/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,024	$7,419	$1,712	$43
Average	$80,929	$6,744	$1,556	$39
25th Percentile	$69,418	$5,785	$1,335	$33

Salaries of jobs related to Sr Chemist

Salary Trends for Sr Chemist

Salaries for a Sr Chemist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $66,793 in 2023 to around $66,462 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Sr Chemist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Sr Chemist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$66,793

2024

$66,674

2025

$66,462

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$66,793
2024	$66,674
2025	$66,462
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Sr Chemist

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Healthcare

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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