Chemical engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,420 | $38.19 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $125,040 | $60.12 |
| Mean (average) | $129,980 | $62.49 |
| 90th percentile | $182,880 | $87.92 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Chemical engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 45 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $135,030 | $77,750 | $164,700 | 600 | 2.08 |
| Alaska | $106,080 | $106,080 | $142,350 | ||
| Arizona | Data unavailable | 80 | 0.19 | ||
| Arkansas | $105,270 | $80,480 | $159,150 | 290 | 1.66 |
| California | Data unavailable | 2,190 | 0.89 | ||
| Colorado | $125,800 | $80,130 | $188,640 | 720 | 1.84 |
| Connecticut | $102,270 | $86,190 | $165,210 | 410 | 1.8 |
| Delaware | $133,670 | $86,810 | $176,650 | 370 | 5.59 |
| Florida | $109,000 | $73,180 | $160,340 | 230 | 0.17 |
| Georgia | $103,880 | $66,030 | $164,590 | 330 | 0.49 |
| Idaho | $106,740 | $97,150 | $174,970 | 140 | 1.17 |
| Illinois | $121,560 | $79,120 | $176,110 | 520 | 0.63 |
| Indiana | $113,160 | $89,990 | $135,940 | 720 | 1.66 |
| Iowa | $117,590 | $78,610 | $134,030 | 40 | 0.2 |
| Kansas | $102,020 | $73,730 | $161,350 | 280 | 1.44 |
| Kentucky | $117,170 | $89,040 | $161,500 | 190 | 0.7 |
| Louisiana | $134,800 | $75,500 | $177,790 | 730 | 2.8 |
| Maryland | $127,190 | $68,670 | $185,220 | 500 | 1.35 |
| Massachusetts | $118,000 | $67,810 | $172,170 | 1,460 | 2.96 |
| Michigan | $103,230 | $63,930 | $155,420 | 670 | 1.13 |
| Minnesota | $107,670 | $60,320 | $269,800 | 210 | 0.54 |
| Mississippi | $106,740 | $81,990 | $149,430 | 150 | 0.94 |
| Missouri | $102,320 | $84,300 | $166,270 | 320 | 0.8 |
| Montana | $127,490 | $88,640 | $165,230 | 80 | 1.16 |
| Nebraska | $98,310 | $60,840 | $156,890 | 130 | 0.96 |
| Nevada | Data unavailable | 110 | 0.54 | ||
| New Hampshire | $73,250 | $53,930 | $146,170 | 40 | 0.45 |
| New Jersey | $126,760 | $81,040 | $185,190 | 440 | 0.75 |
| New Mexico | $158,190 | $76,540 | $205,360 | 160 | 1.33 |
| New York | $129,060 | $81,520 | $146,180 | 540 | 0.41 |
| North Carolina | $117,410 | $81,020 | $168,610 | 380 | 0.56 |
| North Dakota | $115,400 | $45,760 | $162,560 | 80 | 1.32 |
| Ohio | $111,200 | $76,940 | $169,600 | 1,030 | 1.37 |
| Oklahoma | $127,790 | $88,610 | $189,870 | 110 | 0.46 |
| Oregon | $116,950 | $83,080 | $166,610 | 140 | 0.53 |
| Pennsylvania | $116,970 | $79,940 | $177,510 | 810 | 0.98 |
| Rhode Island | $111,590 | $70,670 | $152,750 | 50 | 0.7 |
| South Carolina | $101,570 | $77,140 | $146,300 | 390 | 1.26 |
| Tennessee | Data unavailable | 480 | 1.09 | ||
| Texas | $132,750 | $86,920 | $210,460 | 2,610 | 1.37 |
| Utah | $85,520 | $66,620 | $152,760 | ||
| Virginia | $136,380 | $92,540 | $176,950 | 790 | 1.42 |
| Washington | $128,290 | $94,160 | $185,360 | 650 | 1.36 |
| West Virginia | $129,210 | $90,660 | $181,340 | 160 | 1.65 |
| Wisconsin | $97,660 | $60,740 | $131,410 | 110 | 0.28 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for chemical engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for chemical engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering CIP 14.0601
- Chemical Engineering CIP 14.0701
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering CIP 14.0702
- Chemical Engineering, Other CIP 14.0799
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering CIP 14.3201
- Paper Science and Engineering CIP 14.4001
- Biochemical Engineering CIP 14.4301
- Engineering Chemistry CIP 14.4401
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- 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.
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
- Perform tests and monitor performance of processes throughout stages of production to determine degree of control over variables such as temperature, density, specific gravity, and pressure.
- Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- C (hot technology)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- R (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Operations Analysis, Social Perceptiveness.
Common job titles: Chemical Engineer, Development Engineer, Engineer, Engineering Scientist, Process Control Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer, Refinery Process Engineer, Research Chemical Engineer, Scientist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do chemical engineers make?
The national median annual wage for chemical engineers was $125,040 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $79,420 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $182,880. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do chemical engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is chemical engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of chemical engineers to change +4.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay chemical engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Mexico ($158,190), Virginia ($136,380), Alabama ($135,030). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.