Chemical Engineers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for chemical engineers in the U.S. is $125,040 ($60.12 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $125,040
- Mean annual wage
- $129,980
- Median hourly wage
- $60.12
- Employment
- 21,070
21,070 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,420 | $38.19 |
| 25th percentile | $97,820 | $47.03 |
| Median (50th) | $125,040 | $60.12 |
| 75th percentile | $157,190 | $75.57 |
| 90th percentile | $182,880 | $87.92 |
Highest-paying states for chemical engineers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158,190 | 160 |
| Virginia | $136,380 | 790 |
| Alabama | $135,030 | 600 |
| Louisiana | $134,800 | 730 |
| Delaware | $133,670 | 370 |
| Texas | $132,750 | 2,610 |
| West Virginia | $129,210 | 160 |
| New York | $129,060 | 540 |
| Washington | $128,290 | 650 |
| Oklahoma | $127,790 | 110 |
Lowest-paying states
- New Hampshire: $73,250 median annual wage
- Utah: $85,520 median annual wage
- Wisconsin: $97,660 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $98,310 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $101,570 median annual wage
About this occupation
Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Typical tasks
- Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
- Design and plan layout of equipment.
- Design measurement and control systems for chemical plants based on data collected in laboratory experiments and in pilot plant operations.
- Direct activities of workers who operate or are engaged in constructing and improving absorption, evaporation, or electromagnetic equipment.
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
- Determine most effective arrangement of operations such as mixing, crushing, heat transfer, distillation, and drying.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 3.4% |
| Associate's degree | 4.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 57.2% |
| Master's degree | 23.2% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 8.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Civil Engineers$100,840
- Industrial Engineers$102,440
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110
- Electrical Engineers$120,630
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$99,280
- Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.