Chemical Engineers Salary in the US
A chemical engineers earns a national median of $125,040 a year (mean $129,980) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #70 of 825.
How much does a chemical engineers earn in the US?
A chemical engineers in the United States earns a median of $125,040 a year (mean $129,980), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 145% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 21,070 people work in this occupation (SOC 17-2041), ranked #70 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$125,040
per year
Mean
$129,980
per year
Employment
21,070
US workers
National rank
#70
of 825 by median
What a chemical engineers earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a chemical engineers (SOC 17-2041) earns a median annual wage of $125,040 and a mean (average) of $129,980. The median is the midpoint — half of chemical engineers earn more and half earn less — and is 145% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a chemical engineers in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for chemical engineers is $125,040, and the mean (average) is $129,980. The median is the midpoint — half of chemical engineers earn more and half earn less.
- How does chemical engineers pay compare to the US average?
- At $125,040, a chemical engineers earns 145% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many chemical engineers are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 21,070 chemical engineers employed nationally (SOC 17-2041), across all industries.
- Where does this chemical engineers salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 17-2041. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Astronomers$128,820
- Law Teachers, Postsecondary$128,500
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$127,410
- Mathematicians$126,710
- Industrial Production Managers$126,060
- Fundraising Managers$125,470
- Sales Engineers$124,900
- Economists$124,720
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary$123,920
- Medical and Health Services Managers$123,860
- Commercial Pilots$123,220
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
Find chemical engineers jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which chemical engineers roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 17-2041 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries