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Physical Chemist Salary in the United States

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

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Physical Chemist in the United States is $64,192 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $75,337
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,322 to $70,026
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $51,068
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Physical Chemist Salaries

A Physical 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 Physical Chemist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Physical 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): $63,763
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $79,084
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $95,836
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $125,687
  • Expert (over 8 years): $146,757
Levels Salary
Physical ... Level Physical Chemist$63,763
Chemist I... Level Physical Chemist$79,084
Chemist I... Level Physical Chemist$95,836
Chemist I... Level Physical Chemist$125,687
Chemist V... Level Physical Chemist$146,757
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How Do Physical 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 Physical Chemists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $71,073.
  • California: $70,804.
  • Massachusetts: $69,860.

Top Paying Cities for Physical 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: $80,965
  • San Francisco: $80,079
  • Oakland: $78,391

What Skills Can Increase a Physical Chemist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 12.55% 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 2.29% 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.
  • Quality Assurance (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Verifying the adherence of product with required specifications and expectations to track and resolve deficiencies prior to product release.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.55%
Analytical Chemistry 2.29%
Quality Assurance 1.56%
See More Skills

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 Physical Chemist's salary.

  • Biochemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Decision Making: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Biochemistry $68,685
7%
Collaboration $68,043
6%
Decision Making $68,043
6%
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Physical Chemist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Physical Chemist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Software & Networking sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Physical Chemist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Physical Chemist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Physical Chemist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$96,288$46.050%
Software & Networking$89,869$43.040%
Biotechnology$83,449$40.030%
Aerospace & Defense$77,030$37.020%
Pharmaceuticals$77,030$37.020%

How Education impacts a Physical Chemist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Physical 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 Physical Chemist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $64,376 and $68,659).

Physical Chemist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Physical Chemist
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%
View as Graph

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

Understanding how a Physical 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
$57,322
Average $64,192/year
$70,026
$4,777
Average $5,349/month
$5,835
$1,102
Average $1,234/week
$1,347
$28
Average $31/hour
$34
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $70,026 $5,835 $1,347 $34
Average $64,192 $5,349 $1,234 $31
25th Percentile $57,322 $4,777 $1,102 $28

Most common benefits for Physical Chemist

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

Common company salaries for Physical Chemist

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

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FAQ about Physical Chemist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Physical Chemist?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Physical Chemist roles, with salaries approximately 50% 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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