National Salary Info » Chemical Engineers

Highest Paying Industries for Chemical Engineers

The top 88 highest paying industries for chemical engineers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $136,060, oil and gas extraction is the highest paying industry for chemical engineers. It is followed by mining industry (average annual salary $127,220). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of chemical engineers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 88 Highest Paying Industries for Chemical Engineers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Oil and Gas Extraction	$136,060	$78,050	730
2	Mining	$127,220	$71,420	850
3	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$120,560	$70,850	1,070
4	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$112,670	$74,080	2,360
5	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$112,460	$57,180	720
6	Federal government, including USPS	$104,900	$75,540	1,060
7	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$104,900	$75,540	1,060
8	Administrative and Support Services	$104,690	$61,590	420
9	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$103,910	$65,720	50
10	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$103,220	$66,260	1,230
11	Federal, State, and Local Government	$103,220	$66,260	1,230
12	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$101,990	$62,630	530
13	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$100,530	$66,230	4,610
14	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$100,450	$49,450	130
15	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$100,040	$67,110	2,250
16	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$100,000	$48,980	140
17	Employment Services	$98,930	$57,520	310
18	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$98,860	$55,410	3,340
19	Scientific Research and Development Services	$98,790	$55,490	3,370
20	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$98,190	$45,070	750
21	Chemical Manufacturing	$98,040	$63,990	10,870
22	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$97,760	$35,150	40
23	Temporary Help Services	$97,690	$58,280	290
24	Construction	$97,550	$63,590	140
25	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$97,450	$71,710	450
26	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$97,170	$65,460	110
27	Manufacturing	$97,140	$63,230	16,720
28	Engineering Services	$96,950	$57,600	5,500
29	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$96,770	$59,620	1,700
30	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$96,560	$64,220	130
31	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$96,270	$59,660	80
32	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$95,460	$55,360	10,590
33	Natural Gas Distribution	$94,800	$65,980	150
34	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$94,780	$56,400	6,090
35	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$94,170	$64,870	280
36	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$93,270	$43,280	160
37	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$93,090	$50,370	120
38	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$92,740	$47,570	1,680
39	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$92,120	$65,600	820
40	Transportation and Warehousing	$92,070	$65,170	30
41	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$92,070	$58,780	760
42	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$91,930	$58,320	50
43	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$90,920	$61,640	500
44	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$89,610	$44,490	140
45	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	$89,250	$39,760	40
46	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$88,930	$65,190	30
47	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$88,780	$58,310	280
48	Wholesale Trade	$88,620	$51,850	1,300
49	Utilities	$88,560	$64,330	450
50	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$87,730	$69,220	40
51	Machinery Manufacturing	$87,000	$56,270	660
52	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$86,740	$56,440	660
53	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$86,530	$46,390	210
54	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$86,520	$56,280	200
55	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$86,400	$64,820	280
56	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$86,170	$57,920	220
57	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$85,690	$49,440	880
58	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$85,500	$45,130	70
59	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$84,830	$51,190	n/a
60	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$84,290	$55,600	70
61	Industrial Machinery Manufacturing	$84,240	$55,400	90
62	Paper Manufacturing	$83,620	$49,680	160
63	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$83,380	$53,040	630
64	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$82,030	$55,980	110
65	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$82,000	$54,660	1,050
66	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$81,950	$41,790	30
67	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$81,840	$63,350	290
68	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$81,830	$46,290	170
69	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$80,540	$57,190	50
70	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$77,090	$37,050	30
71	Testing Laboratories	$77,080	$49,770	590
72	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$76,700	$45,540	120
73	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$76,490	$39,770	90
74	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$76,310	$50,110	80
75	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$75,940	$53,120	390
76	Support Activities for Mining	$75,610	$64,580	n/a
77	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$74,200	$50,710	n/a
78	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$69,570	$48,900	50
79	Educational Services - Privately owned	$63,900	$42,380	60
80	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$63,310	$42,340	60
81	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$59,320	$46,020	40
82	Educational Services	$57,990	$40,960	510
83	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$57,960	$40,950	510
84	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$57,360	$40,700	450
85	Educational Services - State government owned	$57,360	$40,700	450
86	State government, including schools and hospitals	$56,150	$39,690	480
87	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	$45,700	$35,830	n/a
88	Machine Shops	$45,450	$35,710	n/a