How much does a chemist make?
a year · about $44 an hour
A typical chemist in the United States makes $91,240 a year, about $44 an hour, about 1.8× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A chemist may measure and mix solutions, then use lab instruments to test a sample and check its safety or quality. They record and analyze results, write reports, and share findings with teammates.
Did you know? Forensic chemists often don't know what a sample is before testing it—they must figure it out in the lab.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $58,460 and $160,830How do you become one?
In the U.S., most chemists earn a bachelor's degree in chemistry or a related science after high school, often starting work in their early 20s; lab internships help. Research jobs may require a master's or Ph.D.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like figuring things out and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, chemists with more experience or advanced education may earn more. Pay also differs by location and employer industry—government, research, chemical manufacturing, and testing labs have different pay patterns.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Maryland ($140,670), lowest in Oklahoma ($74,960).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $58,460 | $91,240 | $160,830 | about 83,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $140,670 | about 2,000 |
| Delaware | $129,860 | about 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $125,000 | about 3,000 |
| Oregon | $104,590 | about 730 |
| Louisiana | $103,890 | about 740 |
Official definition: Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge. Excludes “Biochemists and Biophysicists” (19-1021) and “Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers” (19-2042).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/chemists-and-materials-scientis
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-2031.00
- www.acs.org/careers/chemical-sciences/fields/forensic-chemistry.html
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY