How Do Chemists' Salaries Stack Up?

Published: Jan 23, 2017

How do chemists’ salaries stack up?

ACS’s annual employment survey shows unemployment down and salaries steady in 2016

Unemployment dropped in 2016 among ACS members...

Note for all graphics: Survey of 6,321 U.S. ACS members taken between March and April 2016. Salaries reflect the median salary for full-time employees who say their work specialty is chemistry, with the exception of chemical engineers.

...while salaries were essentially flat in most sectors.

Note: The money stacks in each category reflect 2016 salaries. A single full stack represents $40,000.

Men continue to make significantly more than women...

...and chemical engineers make more than chemists.

What you make depends a lot on where you live.

These are the ACS members who took the 2016 survey.

Note: Numbers do not add to 100 because Hispanic is asked separately.
a Permanent resident or other visa.

Here are the top 10 industries where they work.

Those in education fields work in a large variety of jobs.