Chemical Engineer Salary in Sector of Manufacturing

The salary statistics of chemical engineers in the industry sector of manufacturing are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare chemical engineer salaries in different industries within the manufacturing sector.

Average Annual Salary of Chemical Engineers

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$67,290
25th Percentile Wage
$83,420
50th Percentile Wage
$104,030
75th Percentile Wage
$130,700
90th Percentile Wage
$165,010

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for chemical engineers in the industry sector of manufacturing. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) chemical engineers is $165,010. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $104,030. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid chemical engineers is $67,290.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2018)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of chemical engineers in the industry sector of manufacturing from 2012 to 2018.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth6-Year Growth
2018
$104,030
2.85% 10.20%
2017
$101,060
2.99% -
2016
$98,040
2.09% -
2015
$95,990
-1.20% -
2014
$97,140
1.64% -
2013
$95,550
2.23% -
2012
$93,420
- -

Compare Chemical Engineer Salary in Different Industries within the Manufacturing Sector

The average salaries of chemical engineers in 23 industries in the manufacturing sector are shown below. We note that within this industry sector, the salaries vary among different industries. The highest paying industry for chemical engineer occupations is the agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing industry with an annual salary $111,350. The lowest paying industry is the machine shops; turned product; and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing industry (annual salary $48,000). For detailed chemical engineer salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.

Industry Name Median Annual Salary
Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing
$111,350
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
$103,910
Basic Chemical Manufacturing
$102,100
Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
$101,330
Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing
$99,550
Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing
$99,040
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
$97,760
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
$97,610
Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing
$94,340
Beverage Manufacturing
$91,020
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing
$90,620
Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing
$90,610
Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
$88,520
Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing
$85,850
Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing
$85,760
Textile Mills
$79,790
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
$77,410
Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
$77,190
Fabric Mills
$76,980
Grain and Oilseed Milling
$76,810
Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing
$59,320
Machine Shops
$48,000
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing
$48,000

Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].


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