Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

19-2031 Chemists

Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge. Excludes "Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers" (19-2042) and "Biochemists and Biophysicists" (19-1021).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
80,040 1.7 % $35.95 $74,780 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $19.33 $24.59 $33.54 $44.87 $56.66
Annual Wage (2) $40,200 $51,150 $69,760 $93,330 $117,850


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 16,540 2.62 $40.00 $83,190
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 13,960 5.25 $34.61 $71,990
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 9,730 0.75 $29.34 $61,020
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 5,760 0.28 $50.35 $104,730
Basic Chemical Manufacturing 3,600 2.52 $37.85 $78,720

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 13,960 5.25 $34.61 $71,990
Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing 1,710 3.06 $36.36 $75,620
Scientific Research and Development Services 16,540 2.62 $40.00 $83,190
Basic Chemical Manufacturing 3,600 2.52 $37.85 $78,720
Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing 1,990 1.99 $33.24 $69,150

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 90 0.06 $57.99 $120,610
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 5,760 0.28 $50.35 $104,730
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 130 0.03 $44.59 $92,750
Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing 100 0.24 $44.49 $92,540
Insurance Carriers 30 (7) $41.30 $85,900


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,640 0.76 1.21 $38.90 $80,920
New Jersey 5,580 1.48 2.37 $37.81 $78,640
Texas 4,620 0.45 0.72 $34.89 $72,570
Pennsylvania 4,340 0.78 1.25 $32.30 $67,190
New York 4,180 0.50 0.79 $38.38 $79,840




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 2,210 5.49 8.80 $42.97 $89,380
New Jersey 5,580 1.48 2.37 $37.81 $78,640
Maryland 3,270 1.32 2.11 $50.45 $104,930
Massachusetts 3,730 1.18 1.89 $40.35 $83,920
Connecticut 1,540 0.96 1.54 $37.30 $77,580




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 370 0.58 0.93 $52.11 $108,390
Maryland 3,270 1.32 2.11 $50.45 $104,930
Delaware 2,210 5.49 8.80 $42.97 $89,380
Virginia 1,310 0.37 0.59 $40.99 $85,250
New Mexico 400 0.52 0.83 $40.68 $84,600





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,330 0.66 1.05 $41.90 $87,150
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,470 1.48 2.37 $40.91 $85,080
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,220 6.97 11.17 $43.13 $89,710
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 2,170 1.20 1.92 $34.95 $72,700
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 2,020 1.63 2.62 $42.09 $87,540
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division 2,010 2.09 3.35 $34.68 $72,130
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,990 0.78 1.25 $41.60 $86,530
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,810 0.47 0.76 $34.46 $71,680
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,780 0.50 0.80 $33.63 $69,950
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 1,650 1.73 2.78 $40.86 $84,990




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 740 7.46 11.96 $43.06 $89,570
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,220 6.97 11.17 $43.13 $89,710
College Station-Bryan, TX 420 4.60 7.37 $22.81 $47,450
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 1,080 4.05 6.48 $40.86 $84,990
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 380 2.93 4.70 $29.44 $61,240
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,550 2.79 4.47 $59.26 $123,260
Columbia, MO 220 2.64 4.23 $27.17 $56,510
Greenville, NC 170 2.32 3.73 $25.81 $53,670
St. Joseph, MO-KS 110 2.23 3.57 $30.18 $62,780
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division 810 2.21 3.54 $37.43 $77,850




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,550 2.79 4.47 $59.26 $123,260
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,230 0.53 0.85 $52.69 $109,600
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 100 0.38 0.61 $50.23 $104,470
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,250 1.30 2.09 $49.12 $102,160
Spartanburg, SC 50 0.44 0.71 $46.78 $97,310
Norwich-New London, CT-RI (8) (8) (8) $46.60 $96,930
Winston-Salem, NC 30 0.16 0.26 $44.42 $92,390
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division (8) (8) (8) $43.75 $91,010
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 310 2.00 3.20 $43.34 $90,150
Albuquerque, NM 320 0.87 1.40 $43.28 $90,020

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 440 1.60 2.56 $26.26 $54,620
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 190 0.51 0.82 $26.29 $54,690
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 190 0.64 1.02 $28.89 $60,090
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 160 1.06 1.70 $29.84 $62,070
Central New York nonmetropolitan area 110 0.87 1.40 $34.13 $70,990

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 440 1.60 2.56 $26.26 $54,620
Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 50 1.28 2.05 $25.95 $53,970
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 160 1.06 1.70 $29.84 $62,070
Central New York nonmetropolitan area 110 0.87 1.40 $34.13 $70,990
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.80 1.28 $30.61 $63,670

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 50 0.18 0.30 $43.62 $90,720
Northeastern Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 50 0.47 0.75 $43.26 $89,980
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 40 0.43 0.69 $42.57 $88,550
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 70 0.69 1.10 $41.86 $87,060
Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area 40 0.71 1.14 $39.72 $82,610


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012