Chemists
Chemists earn an average annual salary of $108,367, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Chemists workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,480 Workforce in 2023
The Chemists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Chemists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$108,367 Average Wage
In 2023, Chemists earned an average of $108,367.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Chemists.
Salary distribution for Chemists.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
30,048 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -9.5%
27,196 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -18.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Chemists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Chemists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Chemists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Chemists.
Wage Trends by Industry
-5.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Chemists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Chemists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,060 employees, $108,941 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Chemists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,670 employees, $103,292 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,180 employees, $125,232 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,110 employees, $105,460 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,030 employees, $99,935 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 760 employees, $136,183 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 500 employees, $129,003 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 400 employees, $93,114 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 350 employees, $94,018 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 190 employees, $98,701 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 180 employees, $89,015 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Chemists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Chemists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Chemists in 2023 was 8,480 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Chemists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Chemists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Chemists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Chemists in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Chemists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Chemists workers.
Education level distribution for Chemists.
Skills
Chemists need many skills, but most especially Science, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing.
Required skills for Chemists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Chemists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Chemists include Chemistry, English Language, Mathematics, Production and Processing, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Chemists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Chemists include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Chemists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Chemists.
Daily Activities
Chemists spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Chemists.
About
Chemists
The average yearly wage for Chemists was $108,367 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-2031 - Chemists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Chemists reports an average salary of $108,367, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,480 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.