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The national median salary for Chemists is $84,157 per year ($40.46/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $63,939 and $120,203 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $154,440 per year. There are approximately 83,250 chemists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
87K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
7% from new growth93% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
16K
$98,550
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
NAICS 325400
12K
$79,740
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
10K
$65,030
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)
NAICS 3250A1
8K
$97,680
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
5K
$134,430
Wage range across top 5 industries: $65,030 to $134,430 (107% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$25.58
$53,206
P25
$30.74
$63,939
P50MEDIAN
$40.46
$84,157
P75
$57.79
$120,203
P90
$74.25
$154,440
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average chemists salary?
The national median salary for Chemists is $84,157 per year ($40.46/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $63,939 and $120,203 annually.
How much do top-earning chemists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Chemists is $154,440 per year ($74.25/hr). The 75th percentile is $120,203 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for chemists?
Entry-level Chemists (10th percentile) earn approximately $53,206 per year ($25.58/hr). The 25th percentile is $63,939 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.