National Salary Info » Chemists and Materials Scientists

Highest Paying Industries for Chemists and Materials Scientists

The top 100 highest paying industries for chemists and materials scientists (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 $113,610, waste collection is the highest paying industry for chemists and materials scientists. It is followed by petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers industry (average annual salary $108,790). 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 chemists and materials scientists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Chemists and Materials Scientists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Waste Collection	$113,610	$82,660	30
2	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	$108,790	$45,680	50
3	Federal government, including USPS	$103,630	$73,720	5,560
4	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$103,630	$73,720	5,550
5	Other Support Services	$102,500	$46,420	50
6	Natural Gas Distribution	$98,520	$66,430	30
7	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	$91,410	$56,040	n/a
8	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$90,440	$47,900	130
9	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$90,320	$55,880	n/a
10	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$90,310	$47,580	n/a
11	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$90,100	$51,880	2,570
12	Oil and Gas Extraction	$89,350	$42,540	140
13	Support Activities for Mining	$89,270	$49,080	110
14	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$89,200	$48,440	80
15	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$88,890	$47,390	100
16	Coal Mining	$88,770	$42,400	n/a
17	Metal Ore Mining	$87,640	$70,860	60
18	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$87,080	$49,490	110
19	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$86,940	$49,880	3,220
20	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$86,720	$53,680	n/a
21	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$86,650	$48,110	18,180
22	Scientific Research and Development Services	$86,640	$48,060	18,200
23	Mining	$86,080	$47,040	370
24	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$85,580	$51,320	190
25	Utilities	$84,860	$54,130	780
26	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$84,820	$54,520	720
27	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$84,670	$49,180	100
28	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$84,600	$45,810	10,310
29	Federal, State, and Local Government	$84,600	$45,810	10,310
30	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$84,470	$55,240	130
31	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$83,920	$52,860	220
32	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$83,810	$47,430	460
33	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$83,600	$43,330	70
34	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$83,580	$45,140	480
35	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$83,380	$45,150	180
36	Engineering Services	$83,040	$43,190	970
37	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$82,610	$47,430	60
38	Machinery Manufacturing	$81,980	$48,200	470
39	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$81,680	$42,590	590
40	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$80,930	$48,420	630
41	Paper Manufacturing	$79,730	$49,210	290
42	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$79,700	$40,160	1,590
43	Industrial Machinery Manufacturing	$79,460	$40,410	30
44	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$79,300	$51,570	140
45	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$78,650	$43,830	780
46	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$77,800	$38,570	1,330
47	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$77,740	$43,690	70
48	Hospitals - Privately owned	$77,710	$51,970	110
49	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$76,810	$47,510	370
50	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$76,660	$43,330	850
51	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$76,180	$51,370	80
52	Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	$76,130	$49,250	90
53	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$75,910	$46,770	2,130
54	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$75,820	$42,310	13,720
55	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$75,540	$40,320	29,550
56	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$74,720	$51,080	100
57	Manufacturing	$74,490	$43,390	35,910
58	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$74,370	$41,970	n/a
59	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$74,250	$50,930	170
60	Chemical Manufacturing	$74,120	$43,500	28,300
61	Printing and Related Support Activities	$73,530	$49,190	40
62	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$73,400	$50,650	190
63	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$73,280	$43,450	200
64	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$73,230	$43,100	14,810
65	Tobacco Manufacturing	$73,030	$44,660	120
66	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$72,450	$43,990	360
67	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$72,010	$44,460	40
68	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$71,960	$42,420	4,870
69	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$71,640	$43,920	1,240
70	Other Food Manufacturing	$71,200	$43,110	190
71	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$71,010	$49,220	n/a
72	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$70,490	$33,400	40
73	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$70,440	$35,440	160
74	Wholesale Trade	$70,420	$42,320	2,740
75	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$69,760	$39,660	270
76	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$69,740	$41,980	2,170
77	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$69,610	$47,180	40
78	Textile Mills	$69,600	$44,890	170
79	Administrative and Support Services	$69,030	$38,030	4,040
80	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	$68,830	$44,080	110
81	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$68,460	$41,030	2,200
82	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$68,330	$37,130	70
83	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$68,180	$41,820	930
84	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$67,640	$37,170	4,690
85	Temporary Help Services	$67,090	$38,750	3,220
86	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$66,770	$50,830	240
87	Employment Services	$66,390	$37,530	3,480
88	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$66,250	$42,890	1,060
89	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$66,140	$40,930	80
90	Health Care and Social Assistance	$65,890	$40,610	870
91	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$65,860	$39,350	610
92	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$65,490	$50,630	230
93	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$65,320	$34,100	150
94	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$65,160	$43,990	2,660
95	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$65,120	$39,260	570
96	Food Manufacturing	$64,850	$42,790	510
97	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$64,650	$44,140	n/a
98	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$64,420	$42,150	60
99	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$63,210	$36,420	50
100	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$61,660	$39,790	120