Chemists Career, Salary and Skills
Chemists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $91,240 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 82,770. Wage data is published for 264 locations.
Occupation description
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
O*NET code
19-2031.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$91,240
Hourly median
$43.87
Employment
82,770
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Science | 4.12 | 5.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 4.62 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Mathematics | 3.75 | 4.50 |
| Active Learning | 3.62 | 4.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods.
- Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques.
- Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis.
- Conduct quality control tests.
- Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests.
- Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed.
- Prepare test solutions, compounds, or reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct tests.
- Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions.
Technology
- Accelrys Cerius2
- Accelrys DeCipher
- Advanced Chemistry Development ACD/1D nuclear magnetic resonance NMR processor
- Agilent ChemStation
- Apple iWork
- Apple iWork Keynote
- Apple iWork Numbers
- Apple iWork Pages
- Bruker BioSpin TopSpin
- C
- C++
- CambridgeSoft ChemOffice Ultra
- Chem2Pac
- Chemical kinetics software
Chemists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Chemists Salary in CAMedian $97,860 · Employment 9,820
- Chemists Salary in PAMedian $77,090 · Employment 6,800
- Chemists Salary in New York, NYMedian $85,150 · Employment 6,750
- Chemists Salary in NJMedian $84,450 · Employment 5,280
- Chemists Salary in TXMedian $99,640 · Employment 5,130
- Chemists Salary in NCMedian $82,620 · Employment 4,530
- Chemists Salary in Philadelphia, PAMedian $95,440 · Employment 4,520
- Chemists Salary in NYMedian $90,600 · Employment 4,230
- Chemists Salary in OHMedian $85,270 · Employment 4,010
- Chemists Salary in MIMedian $97,440 · Employment 3,490
- Chemists Salary in MAMedian $125,000 · Employment 3,430
- Chemists Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $87,060 · Employment 3,190
Related careers
- Nanosystems EngineersNational median $122,930
- Biological TechniciansNational median $57,510
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansNational median $66,120
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory TechniciansNational median not published
- Quality Control AnalystsNational median $62,280
- Calibration Technologists and TechniciansNational median $67,820
- Food Science TechniciansNational median $52,130
- Chemical Plant and System OperatorsNational median $78,120
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.