Menu
Life & Physical Science

Chemists

SOC 19-2031

Synthesize and analyze chemical substances for industry and research.

The job
Median pay
$91k
$69k to $126k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+6.4% projected
Openings a year
5.9k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
9/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
78th pct
More exposed than 78% of occupations · modeled estimate · 77th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
55/100

At a glance

The AI read on Chemists: 78th percentile exposure, high displacement risk, 9/100 working with AI, tilting toward AI replacing tasks. At $91,240 a year, median pay runs $24,050 above the typical occupation we cover, but in line with the Life & Physical Science median. The 2025 to 2035 outlook is +6.4%, 2.7 points above typical growth across the occupations we cover. About 5,900 job openings come up each year. For Chemists, the typical entry route is a bachelor's degree. Compared with Occupational Health & Safety Specialists at +19%, projected growth here is +6.4%.

Take the next step

Weigh it against Chemical TechniciansPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWashington DC leads at $150k; all states are listed below Find careers like itOpen the map at Chemists and explore its neighbours See open jobsChemists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Chemists, who lean most on science Real pay & reviewsSelf-reported pay and reviews on Glassdoor

Similar pay in Life & Physical Science

Occupational Health & Safety SpecialistsUrban & Regional PlannersToxicologistsSchool Psychologists

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
California9,8200.51.0×$98k
Pennsylvania6,8001.12.1×$77k
New Jersey5,2801.22.3×$84k
Texas5,1300.40.7×$100k
North Carolina4,5300.91.7×$83k
New York4,2300.40.8×$91k
Ohio4,0100.71.4×$85k
Michigan3,4900.81.5×$97k
Massachusetts3,4300.91.8×$125k
Illinois3,0400.50.9×$85k
All 50 states and DC
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Indiana2,4800.81.5×$79k
Maryland2,4800.91.7×$141k
Washington2,2800.61.2×$97k
Wisconsin1,9200.71.2×$79k
Colorado1,7900.61.2×$102k
Minnesota1,6800.61.1×$99k
Missouri1,6400.61.1×$83k
Virginia1,6400.40.8×$97k
Florida1,4900.20.3×$83k
Georgia1,2600.30.5×$93k
Delaware1,2002.54.7×$130k
Connecticut1,1700.71.3×$98k
Tennessee9600.30.6×$88k
Utah9100.51.0×$81k
Arizona8700.30.5×$82k
South Carolina7700.30.6×$80k
Louisiana7400.40.7×$104k
Oregon7300.40.7×$105k
Alabama7000.30.6×$98k
Kansas6900.50.9×$83k
Oklahoma6300.40.7×$75k
Iowa5700.40.7×$86k
Kentucky5300.30.5×$84k
Arkansas3800.30.6×$76k
Nebraska3500.30.6×$75k
Idaho3200.40.7×$78k
Montana3000.61.1×$62k
New Hampshire3000.40.8×$100k
Washington DC2800.40.8×$150k
Nevada2800.20.3×$81k
New Mexico2800.30.6×$127k
Mississippi2000.20.3×$80k
West Virginia1800.30.5×$86k
South Dakota1700.40.7×$67k
North Dakota1600.40.7×$97k
Rhode Island1500.30.6×$102k
Hawaii1400.20.4×$84k
Maine1400.20.4×$64k
Vermont800.30.5×$86k
Wyoming800.30.5×$102k
Alaska600.20.3×$106k

Top metro areas

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ6,750 jobs · $85k median
  2. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD4,520 jobs · $95k median
  3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA3,190 jobs · $87k median
  4. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH2,960 jobs · $127k median
  5. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,630 jobs · $91k median
  6. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,490 jobs · $145k median
  7. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,430 jobs · $107k median
  8. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,180 jobs · $128k median

Where this ranks

#20 in High pay, easy to enter All career rankings All 524 BLS occupations Compare careers
Explore Chemists interactively →

Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.