National Salary Info » Chemists

Highest Paying Industries for Chemists

The top 100 highest paying industries for chemists (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. 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 in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Chemists

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 Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$103,380	$73,610	5,510
4	Federal government, including USPS	$103,120	$73,610	5,510
5	Other Support Services	$101,590	$45,760	50
6	Natural Gas Distribution	$98,520	$66,430	30
7	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$90,800	$52,430	2,380
8	Oil and Gas Extraction	$89,350	$42,540	140
9	Support Activities for Mining	$89,270	$49,080	110
10	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$89,090	$45,320	90
11	Coal Mining	$88,770	$42,400	n/a
12	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$88,090	$52,750	100
13	Metal Ore Mining	$86,990	$71,810	40
14	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$86,340	$49,260	2,830
15	Mining	$85,900	$46,100	350
16	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$85,460	$47,840	16,230
17	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$85,450	$51,300	190
18	Scientific Research and Development Services	$85,440	$47,780	16,240
19	Utilities	$85,250	$54,520	770
20	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$85,230	$55,010	710
21	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$84,190	$45,750	10,260
22	Federal, State, and Local Government	$84,190	$45,750	10,260
23	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$83,790	$52,940	100
24	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$83,530	$45,040	460
25	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$82,710	$50,090	70
26	Engineering Services	$82,250	$42,510	730
27	Machinery Manufacturing	$80,030	$47,490	410
28	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$78,570	$43,930	100
29	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$78,360	$51,540	220
30	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$77,950	$52,020	170
31	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$77,790	$49,540	120
32	Hospitals - Privately owned	$77,710	$51,970	110
33	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$77,700	$46,190	110
34	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$76,590	$43,280	850
35	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$76,340	$45,020	40
36	Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	$76,130	$49,250	90
37	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$76,060	$42,500	13,260
38	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$75,900	$45,180	70
39	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$75,820	$49,220	190
40	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$75,490	$45,060	330
41	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$75,300	$41,740	50
42	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$75,140	$50,940	70
43	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$74,720	$51,080	100
44	Paper Manufacturing	$74,320	$47,540	230
45	Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	$74,270	$41,810	860
46	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$74,090	$45,930	2,000
47	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$73,950	$44,790	430
48	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$73,800	$39,790	26,890
49	Printing and Related Support Activities	$73,530	$49,190	40
50	Chemical Manufacturing	$73,350	$43,330	27,030
51	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$73,150	$43,300	180
52	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$73,130	$43,140	14,480
53	Tobacco Manufacturing	$73,030	$44,660	120
54	Manufacturing	$72,880	$42,970	32,880
55	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$70,720	$43,520	1,130
56	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$70,610	$36,130	1,010
57	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$70,520	$36,980	1,110
58	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$70,520	$30,820	110
59	Other Food Manufacturing	$70,480	$42,970	190
60	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	$70,350	$47,840	100
61	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$70,250	$42,920	30
62	Wholesale Trade	$69,720	$42,190	2,560
63	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$69,460	$41,900	2,120
64	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$69,350	$41,910	4,400
65	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$69,110	$42,400	100
66	Administrative and Support Services	$68,980	$38,000	4,020
67	Textile Mills	$68,910	$44,740	170
68	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$68,830	$37,270	180
69	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$68,590	$43,880	260
70	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$68,470	$48,930	150
71	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$68,310	$41,010	2,180
72	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$67,570	$37,140	4,680
73	Temporary Help Services	$67,050	$38,740	3,220
74	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$67,050	$41,980	30
75	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$66,770	$50,830	240
76	Employment Services	$66,350	$37,500	3,470
77	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$66,140	$40,930	80
78	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$66,130	$42,870	1,050
79	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$65,970	$42,260	n/a
80	Health Care and Social Assistance	$65,740	$40,560	860
81	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$65,630	$39,290	610
82	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$65,490	$50,630	230
83	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$65,070	$43,970	2,650
84	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$64,990	$41,150	540
85	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$64,900	$36,280	60
86	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$64,840	$39,190	560
87	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$64,800	$36,170	50
88	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$64,570	$44,120	2,790
89	Food Manufacturing	$64,560	$42,730	500
90	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$64,420	$42,150	60
91	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$63,970	$33,300	130
92	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$63,410	$41,920	50
93	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$62,150	$40,030	390
94	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$61,850	$41,680	750
95	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$59,850	$50,780	120
96	Hospitals - Local government owned	$59,850	$50,780	120
97	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$59,240	$34,630	650
98	Fabric Mills	$59,010	$42,680	70
99	Grain and Oilseed Milling	$58,880	$47,140	90
100	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$58,800	$35,590	470