The salary statistics of chemical engineers in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare chemical engineer salaries in different industries within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $65,140 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $82,860 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $108,070 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $141,630 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $183,430 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for chemical engineers in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services. 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 $183,430. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $108,070. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid chemical engineers is $65,140.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of chemical engineers in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $108,070 | 1.93% | 13.17% |
| 2017 | $105,980 | 5.09% | - |
| 2016 | $100,590 | 1.12% | - |
| 2015 | $99,460 | 4.02% | - |
| 2014 | $95,460 | 1.37% | - |
| 2013 | $94,150 | 0.33% | - |
| 2012 | $93,840 | - | - |
The average salaries of chemical engineers in three industries in the professional, scientific, and technical services 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 computer systems design and related services industry with an annual salary $121,080. The lowest paying industry is the other professional, scientific, and technical services industry (annual salary $60,280). For detailed chemical engineer salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.
| Industry Name | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | |
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | |
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].