Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018
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 "Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers" (19-2042) and "Biochemists and Biophysicists" (19-1021).
National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation: Top
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 84,560 |
2.5 % |
$40.31 |
$83,850 |
1.0 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$21.12 |
$27.06 |
$36.97 |
$49.91 |
$64.03 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$43,920 |
$56,290 |
$76,890 |
$103,820 |
$133,180 |
Industry profile for this occupation: Top
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 |
16,530 |
5.62 |
$39.23 |
$81,600 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
12,370 |
1.84 |
$44.63 |
$92,830 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
8,570 |
0.59 |
$32.48 |
$67,550 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
8,260 |
2.28 |
$42.57 |
$88,540 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
5,590 |
0.28 |
$54.82 |
$114,030 |
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 |
16,530 |
5.62 |
$39.23 |
$81,600 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) |
4,790 |
2.81 |
$38.50 |
$80,080 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) |
8,260 |
2.28 |
$42.57 |
$88,540 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
12,370 |
1.84 |
$44.63 |
$92,830 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing |
1,080 |
0.96 |
$42.19 |
$87,750 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
Geographic profile for this occupation: Top
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 |
10,430 |
0.61 |
1.05 |
$42.58 |
$88,570 |
| New Jersey |
7,460 |
1.84 |
3.15 |
$46.20 |
$96,100 |
| Pennsylvania |
5,460 |
0.93 |
1.60 |
$37.14 |
$77,250 |
| Texas |
5,160 |
0.43 |
0.73 |
$42.06 |
$87,490 |
| North Carolina |
4,370 |
1.00 |
1.71 |
$37.41 |
$77,820 |
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 |
1,420 |
3.16 |
5.40 |
$50.75 |
$105,570 |
| New Jersey |
7,460 |
1.84 |
3.15 |
$46.20 |
$96,100 |
| Maryland |
3,100 |
1.16 |
1.98 |
$55.80 |
$116,060 |
| North Carolina |
4,370 |
1.00 |
1.71 |
$37.41 |
$77,820 |
| Pennsylvania |
5,460 |
0.93 |
1.60 |
$37.14 |
$77,250 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
260 |
0.36 |
0.62 |
$58.16 |
$120,980 |
| Maryland |
3,100 |
1.16 |
1.98 |
$55.80 |
$116,060 |
| Delaware |
1,420 |
3.16 |
5.40 |
$50.75 |
$105,570 |
| Virginia |
1,390 |
0.36 |
0.62 |
$47.44 |
$98,670 |
| New Jersey |
7,460 |
1.84 |
3.15 |
$46.20 |
$96,100 |
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 |
7,960 |
0.84 |
1.43 |
$45.55 |
$94,750 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
4,280 |
1.50 |
2.57 |
$44.96 |
$93,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
3,140 |
1.30 |
2.22 |
$52.12 |
$108,400 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
2,990 |
0.49 |
0.84 |
$36.19 |
$75,280 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
2,890 |
0.92 |
1.58 |
$59.13 |
$123,000 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
2,670 |
0.97 |
1.66 |
$45.75 |
$95,150 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,500 |
0.54 |
0.92 |
$35.78 |
$74,430 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
2,010 |
0.67 |
1.15 |
$46.89 |
$97,530 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,760 |
0.90 |
1.54 |
$43.18 |
$89,810 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN |
1,720 |
1.65 |
2.83 |
$33.20 |
$69,050 |
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 |
590 |
5.16 |
8.84 |
$50.88 |
$105,830 |
| Trenton, NJ |
1,100 |
4.76 |
8.14 |
$45.85 |
$95,370 |
| Greenville, NC |
360 |
4.75 |
8.13 |
$29.87 |
$62,130 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
1,100 |
3.56 |
6.09 |
$43.63 |
$90,750 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX |
320 |
2.84 |
4.86 |
$24.05 |
$50,010 |
| Waterbury, CT |
150 |
2.17 |
3.71 |
$48.96 |
$101,850 |
| Ann Arbor, MI |
400 |
1.83 |
3.13 |
$34.05 |
$70,830 |
| Boulder, CO |
330 |
1.82 |
3.11 |
$43.79 |
$91,080 |
| Idaho Falls, ID |
110 |
1.73 |
2.96 |
$46.82 |
$97,400 |
| Madison, WI |
650 |
1.67 |
2.86 |
$33.62 |
$69,920 |
United States Department of Labor
