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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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 Chemists
Industry profile for Chemists
Geographic profile for Chemists
National estimates for Chemists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Chemists:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 80,600 |
1.9 % |
$ 42.85 |
$ 89,130 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Chemists:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 23.12 |
$ 29.59 |
$ 38.19 |
$ 51.51 |
$ 64.80 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 48,100 |
$ 61,540 |
$ 79,430 |
$ 107,140 |
$ 134,780 |
Industry profile for Chemists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Chemists are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Chemists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Chemists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
14,560 |
4.64 |
$ 38.30 |
$ 79,670 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
13,990 |
1.76 |
$ 52.22 |
$ 108,620 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
8,200 |
0.54 |
$ 31.29 |
$ 65,080 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
7,730 |
2.20 |
$ 44.73 |
$ 93,040 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
5,580 |
0.26 |
$ 58.49 |
$ 121,660 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Chemists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
14,560 |
4.64 |
$ 38.30 |
$ 79,670 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
4,250 |
2.40 |
$ 39.50 |
$ 82,160 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
7,730 |
2.20 |
$ 44.73 |
$ 93,040 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
13,990 |
1.76 |
$ 52.22 |
$ 108,620 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing |
860 |
0.84 |
$ 42.26 |
$ 87,890 |
Top paying industries for Chemists:
Geographic profile for Chemists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Chemists are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Chemists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Chemists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
9,270 |
0.56 |
0.98 |
$ 41.31 |
$ 85,930 |
| New Jersey |
7,210 |
1.87 |
3.28 |
$ 48.10 |
$ 100,050 |
| Pennsylvania |
5,470 |
0.98 |
1.71 |
$ 42.17 |
$ 87,710 |
| Massachusetts |
4,590 |
1.35 |
2.36 |
$ 51.69 |
$ 107,510 |
| North Carolina |
4,370 |
0.99 |
1.73 |
$ 37.34 |
$ 77,670 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Delaware |
1,300 |
2.98 |
5.20 |
$ 55.07 |
$ 114,540 |
| New Jersey |
7,210 |
1.87 |
3.28 |
$ 48.10 |
$ 100,050 |
| Massachusetts |
4,590 |
1.35 |
2.36 |
$ 51.69 |
$ 107,510 |
| Maryland |
2,980 |
1.17 |
2.05 |
$ 57.78 |
$ 120,190 |
| North Carolina |
4,370 |
0.99 |
1.73 |
$ 37.34 |
$ 77,670 |
Top paying states for Chemists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
270 |
0.40 |
0.70 |
$ 61.76 |
$ 128,460 |
| Maryland |
2,980 |
1.17 |
2.05 |
$ 57.78 |
$ 120,190 |
| Delaware |
1,300 |
2.98 |
5.20 |
$ 55.07 |
$ 114,540 |
| Massachusetts |
4,590 |
1.35 |
2.36 |
$ 51.69 |
$ 107,510 |
| New Jersey |
7,210 |
1.87 |
3.28 |
$ 48.10 |
$ 100,050 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Chemists:
| 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 |
7,820 |
0.90 |
1.57 |
$ 47.37 |
$ 98,520 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,160 |
1.61 |
2.82 |
$ 52.08 |
$ 108,330 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
4,130 |
1.56 |
2.72 |
$ 48.92 |
$ 101,750 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
2,880 |
0.50 |
0.88 |
$ 37.74 |
$ 78,510 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
2,830 |
0.97 |
1.69 |
$ 63.12 |
$ 131,290 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,600 |
0.61 |
1.07 |
$ 37.92 |
$ 78,880 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
2,320 |
1.04 |
1.81 |
$ 47.43 |
$ 98,660 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,460 |
0.81 |
1.42 |
$ 49.87 |
$ 103,720 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
1,340 |
0.46 |
0.81 |
$ 48.83 |
$ 101,570 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
1,310 |
0.94 |
1.64 |
$ 39.26 |
$ 81,650 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Midland, MI |
650 |
18.77 |
32.81 |
$ 51.98 |
$ 108,110 |
| Bay City, MI |
210 |
6.61 |
11.55 |
$ 51.33 |
$ 106,770 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
1,300 |
4.18 |
7.30 |
$ 42.01 |
$ 87,380 |
| Wilmington, NC |
530 |
4.12 |
7.20 |
$ 31.09 |
$ 64,660 |
| Trenton, NJ |
780 |
3.45 |
6.03 |
$ 49.35 |
$ 102,650 |
| Boulder, CO |
470 |
2.57 |
4.50 |
$ 48.54 |
$ 100,950 |
| Kankakee, IL |
100 |
2.42 |
4.24 |
$ 34.32 |
$ 71,380 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
290 |
2.18 |
3.81 |
$ 42.96 |
$ 89,350 |
| Ann Arbor, MI |
380 |
1.90 |
3.31 |
$ 39.46 |
$ 82,090 |
| Bloomington, IN |
120 |
1.77 |
3.10 |
$ 32.72 |
$ 68,060 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Chemists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
2,830 |
0.97 |
1.69 |
$ 63.12 |
$ 131,290 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
410 |
1.10 |
1.92 |
$ 55.67 |
$ 115,790 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,160 |
1.61 |
2.82 |
$ 52.08 |
$ 108,330 |
| Midland, MI |
650 |
18.77 |
32.81 |
$ 51.98 |
$ 108,110 |
| Barnstable Town, MA |
50 |
0.53 |
0.93 |
$ 51.38 |
$ 106,870 |
| Bay City, MI |
210 |
6.61 |
11.55 |
$ 51.33 |
$ 106,770 |
| Peoria, IL |
80 |
0.48 |
0.84 |
$ 51.30 |
$ 106,700 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,460 |
0.81 |
1.42 |
$ 49.87 |
$ 103,720 |
| Gainesville, GA |
30 |
0.36 |
0.63 |
$ 49.69 |
$ 103,360 |
| Trenton, NJ |
780 |
3.45 |
6.03 |
$ 49.35 |
$ 102,650 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Chemists:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chemists:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Chemists:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
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United States Department of Labor
