Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
19-2031 Chemists
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).
National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 83,530 |
2.3 % |
$40.46 |
$84,150 |
1.0 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$21.37 |
$27.45 |
$37.32 |
$50.32 |
$64.27 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$44,460 |
$57,090 |
$77,630 |
$104,670 |
$133,690 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
15,320 |
5.15 |
$38.27 |
$79,590 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
11,850 |
1.68 |
$46.05 |
$95,790 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
9,370 |
0.63 |
$32.42 |
$67,440 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
8,350 |
2.29 |
$42.92 |
$89,270 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
5,570 |
0.28 |
$55.05 |
$114,510 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
15,320 |
5.15 |
$38.27 |
$79,590 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
4,650 |
2.66 |
$37.88 |
$78,790 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
8,350 |
2.29 |
$42.92 |
$89,270 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
11,850 |
1.68 |
$46.05 |
$95,790 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal |
920 |
0.92 |
$38.55 |
$80,190 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
Geographic profile for this occupation:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
10,130 |
0.58 |
1.02 |
$40.77 |
$84,810 |
| New Jersey |
7,350 |
1.80 |
3.16 |
$45.86 |
$95,400 |
| Pennsylvania |
5,310 |
0.90 |
1.58 |
$36.65 |
$76,240 |
| Texas |
5,000 |
0.40 |
0.71 |
$43.04 |
$89,520 |
| North Carolina |
3,990 |
0.90 |
1.57 |
$38.42 |
$79,920 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Delaware |
1,350 |
2.99 |
5.26 |
$50.97 |
$106,020 |
| New Jersey |
7,350 |
1.80 |
3.16 |
$45.86 |
$95,400 |
| Maryland |
3,240 |
1.20 |
2.11 |
$55.09 |
$114,580 |
| Massachusetts |
3,560 |
0.98 |
1.73 |
$44.77 |
$93,110 |
| South Carolina |
2,010 |
0.95 |
1.68 |
$36.53 |
$75,980 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
8,250 |
0.85 |
1.50 |
$45.56 |
$94,770 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
3,870 |
1.34 |
2.36 |
$46.31 |
$96,320 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
3,370 |
1.20 |
2.12 |
$44.85 |
$93,290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
3,160 |
0.51 |
0.89 |
$37.40 |
$77,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
2,840 |
0.89 |
1.57 |
$59.88 |
$124,540 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,420 |
0.52 |
0.91 |
$36.57 |
$76,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
1,910 |
0.62 |
1.10 |
$46.68 |
$97,090 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
1,810 |
1.21 |
2.12 |
$40.23 |
$83,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,680 |
0.85 |
1.50 |
$44.19 |
$91,920 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN |
1,430 |
1.35 |
2.37 |
$35.24 |
$73,300 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA |
600 |
5.11 |
8.98 |
$52.60 |
$109,410 |
| Trenton, NJ |
950 |
3.94 |
6.93 |
$45.21 |
$94,040 |
| Bloomington, IN |
270 |
3.85 |
6.78 |
$33.47 |
$69,620 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
1,180 |
3.76 |
6.61 |
$43.83 |
$91,170 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC |
710 |
3.16 |
5.56 |
$35.33 |
$73,480 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX |
280 |
2.47 |
4.35 |
$24.69 |
$51,340 |
| Evansville, IN-KY |
330 |
2.10 |
3.69 |
$35.63 |
$74,110 |
| Ann Arbor, MI |
460 |
2.07 |
3.63 |
$32.75 |
$68,110 |
| Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA |
220 |
1.93 |
3.39 |
$50.63 |
$105,310 |
| Madison, WI |
670 |
1.71 |
3.00 |
$35.22 |
$73,250 |
United States Department of Labor
