How much does a Chemist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Chemist in the United States is $99,825 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $120,855
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $90,594 to $110,833
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $82,189

Key Factors That Influence Chemist Salaries

A 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 Chemist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a 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): $65,879
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,709
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $99,016
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $129,858
  • Expert (over 8 years): $151,627
Levels Salary
Chemist I... Level Chemist$65,879
Chemist I... Level Chemist$81,709
Chemist Level Chemist$99,016
Chemist I... Level Chemist$129,858
Chemist V... Level Chemist$151,627

Top Paying Cities for 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: $125,909
  • San Francisco: $124,531
  • Oakland: $121,906

What Skills Can Increase a Chemist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 12.68% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Analytical Chemistry (Mentioned in 2.31% Job Postings): 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.
  • Laboratory Equipment (Mentioned in 1.51% Job Postings): Utilizing various tools and equipment to conduct scientific researches, teach practical science, or perform laboratory experiments.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.68%
Analytical Chemistry 2.31%
Laboratory Equipment 1.51%

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 Chemist's salary.

  • Clinical Diagnostic: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Authenticity: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Clinical Diagnostic $108,809
9%
Authenticity $107,811
8%
Collaboration $105,815
6%

Chemist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Chemist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 42% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Chemist positions in Transportation or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Chemist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Chemist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$119,790$58.020%
Energy & Utilities$114,799$55.015%
Aerospace & Defense$111,804$54.012%
MFG Durable$109,808$53.010%
Chemicals$107,811$52.08%

How Education impacts a Chemist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Chemists enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA 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 Chemist with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $100,591 and $107,435).

Chemist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Chemist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 29.8%
Associates 0.9%
Bachelors 29.8%
Masters 31.5%
Doctorate 37.8%

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

Understanding how a 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 September 01, 2026
$90,594
Average $99,825/year
$110,833
$7,549
Average $8,319/month
$9,236
$1,742
Average $1,920/week
$2,131
$44
Average $48/hour
$53
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $110,833 $9,236 $2,131 $53
Average $99,825 $8,319 $1,920 $48
25th Percentile $90,594 $7,549 $1,742 $44

Most common benefits for Chemist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Chemist

Here are companies hiring for Chemist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Chemist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Chemist?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Chemist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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.

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