Pay by state · 41 states
Chemical Engineer Salary by State (2026)
Chemical Engineers earn the most in New Mexico at $158,190 a year and the least in New Hampshire at $73,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $125,040. All 41 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $158,190New Mexico
- National median
- $125,040BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $73,250New Hampshire
- States reporting
- 41of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Chemical Engineer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of chemical engineers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NMNew Mexico | $158,190 | $110,420 | $189,260 | 160 | $171,550 |
| 2 | VAVirginia | $136,380 | $100,680 | $156,080 | 790 | $134,891 |
| 3 | ALAlabama | $135,030 | $96,820 | $141,840 | 600 | $152,021 |
| 4 | LALouisiana | $134,800 | $105,860 | $164,800 | 730 | $152,822 |
| 5 | DEDelaware | $133,670 | $106,000 | $158,670 | 370 | $133,927 |
| 6 | TXTexas | $132,750 | $106,910 | $167,750 | 2,610 | $136,775 |
| 7 | WVWest Virginia | $129,210 | $101,600 | $165,770 | 160 | $144,374 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $129,060 | $89,440 | $145,670 | 540 | $119,587 |
| 9 | WAWashington | $128,290 | $104,300 | $164,630 | 650 | $119,883 |
| 10 | OKOklahoma | $127,790 | $106,070 | $167,040 | 110 | $145,475 |
| 11 | MTMontana | $127,490 | $99,690 | $158,280 | 80 | $134,703 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $127,190 | $96,210 | $156,750 | 500 | $121,181 |
| 13 | NJNew Jersey | $126,760 | $95,520 | $157,190 | 440 | $116,502 |
| 14 | COColorado | $125,800 | $97,490 | $150,280 | 720 | $122,074 |
| 15 | ILIllinois | $121,560 | $95,800 | $140,010 | 520 | $121,611 |
| 16 | MAMassachusetts | $118,000 | $85,170 | $133,050 | 1,460 | $111,577 |
| 17 | IAIowa | $117,590 | $92,050 | $124,120 | 40 | $133,987 |
| 18 | NCNorth Carolina | $117,410 | $95,920 | $141,260 | 380 | $124,473 |
| 19 | KYKentucky | $117,170 | $106,000 | $136,450 | 190 | $129,959 |
| 20 | PAPennsylvania | $116,970 | $91,520 | $168,060 | 810 | $119,881 |
| 21 | OROregon | $116,950 | $95,300 | $138,140 | 140 | $113,147 |
| 22 | NDNorth Dakota | $115,400 | $84,720 | $134,630 | 80 | $129,723 |
| 23 | INIndiana | $113,160 | $103,600 | $119,030 | 720 | $121,248 |
| 24 | RIRhode Island | $111,590 | $80,120 | $152,750 | 50 | $109,102 |
| 25 | OHOhio | $111,200 | $96,170 | $135,700 | 1,030 | $119,861 |
| 26 | FLFlorida | $109,000 | $83,720 | $126,250 | 230 | $105,402 |
| 27 | MNMinnesota | $107,670 | $76,340 | $134,500 | 210 | $109,176 |
| 28 | IDIdaho | $106,740 | $97,150 | $168,680 | 140 | $111,777 |
| 29 | MSMississippi | $106,740 | $95,060 | $130,630 | 150 | $122,756 |
| 30 | AKAlaska | $106,080 | $106,080 | $122,100 | N/A | $103,635 |
| 31 | ARArkansas | $105,270 | $93,860 | $130,860 | 290 | $121,088 |
| 32 | GAGeorgia | $103,880 | $80,180 | $132,980 | 330 | $107,879 |
| 33 | MIMichigan | $103,230 | $82,250 | $125,410 | 670 | $107,289 |
| 34 | MOMissouri | $102,320 | $102,320 | $128,530 | 320 | $112,666 |
| 35 | CTConnecticut | $102,270 | $95,230 | $129,530 | 410 | $98,707 |
| 36 | KSKansas | $102,020 | $88,670 | $126,480 | 280 | $113,270 |
| 37 | SCSouth Carolina | $101,570 | $79,160 | $127,900 | 390 | $108,342 |
| 38 | NENebraska | $98,310 | $76,610 | $131,890 | 130 | $109,108 |
| 39 | WIWisconsin | $97,660 | $74,700 | $119,500 | 110 | $103,789 |
| 40 | UTUtah | $85,520 | $81,840 | $104,240 | N/A | $86,503 |
| 41 | NHNew Hampshire | $73,250 | $60,600 | $115,140 | 40 | $70,321 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Chemical Engineers, that changes the ranking: New Mexico leads on raw pay at $158,190, while New Mexico leads once prices are taken into account at $171,550.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Chemical Engineer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Chemical Engineers the most?
New Mexico reports the highest median wage for Chemical Engineers at $158,190 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Virginia ($136,380) and Alabama ($135,030).
Which state pays Chemical Engineers the least?
New Hampshire reports the lowest median for Chemical Engineers at $73,250 a year, $84,940 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Chemical Engineers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New Mexico first at $171,550 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $158,190. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.