The average salary for a chemical engineer in the United States is around $125,040 per year.
Avg Salary
Chemical engineers earn an average yearly salary of $125,040.
Wages typically start from $79,420 and go up to $182,880.
86% above national average Updated in 2025
Chemical engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level chemical engineer earnings begin at:
$87.92 per hour
$182,880 per year
Senior-level chemical engineer earnings begin at:
$75.57 per hour
$157,190 per year
Mid-level chemical engineer earnings begin at:
$60.12 per hour
$125,040 per year
Junior-level chemical engineer earnings begin at:
$47.03 per hour
$97,820 per year
Starting level chemical engineer earnings begin at:
$38.19 per hour
$79,420 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Chemical engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $98,560 |
| Nebraska | $98,310 |
| Wisconsin | $97,660 |
| Maine | $94,120 |
| Nevada | $92,850 |
| Utah | $85,520 |
| New Hampshire | $73,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $57,880 |
| New Mexico | $158,190 |
| Virginia | $136,380 |
| Alabama | $135,030 |
| Louisiana | $134,800 |
| Delaware | $133,670 |
| Texas | $132,750 |
| West Virginia | $129,210 |
| New York | $129,060 |
| Washington | $128,290 |
| Oklahoma | $127,790 |
| Montana | $127,490 |
| Maryland | $127,190 |
| New Jersey | $126,760 |
| District of Columbia | $126,050 |
| Colorado | $125,800 |
| Illinois | $121,560 |
| Massachusetts | $118,000 |
| Iowa | $117,590 |
| North Carolina | $117,410 |
| Kentucky | $117,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $116,970 |
| Oregon | $116,950 |
| North Dakota | $115,400 |
| Indiana | $113,160 |
| Rhode Island | $111,590 |
| Ohio | $111,200 |
| Florida | $109,000 |
| Minnesota | $107,670 |
| Idaho | $106,740 |
| Mississippi | $106,740 |
| Alaska | $106,080 |
| Arkansas | $105,270 |
| Tennessee | $104,700 |
| Georgia | $103,880 |
| Michigan | $103,230 |
| Wyoming | $102,870 |
| Missouri | $102,320 |
| Connecticut | $102,270 |
| Kansas | $102,020 |
| South Carolina | $101,570 |
| Arizona | $100,090 |
How do chemical engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Chemical engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than petroleum engineers but more than photonics engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Petroleum engineer salary | $145K |
| Software engineer salary | $136K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $135K |
| Nuclear engineer salary | $134K |
| Sales engineer salary | $125K |
| Chemical engineer salary | $125K |
| Mechatronics engineer salary | $123K |
| Wind energy engineer salary | $123K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $123K |
| Photonics engineer salary | $123K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)