Chemical Engineer salary
From 1,679 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2041: Chemical Engineers
- Also filed as: Process Engineer
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 28% of Chemical Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Eli Lilly and Company. 40 filings (2% of the total), median $140,520.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 3 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $127,360 in Boston, MA to $150,000 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 28% since FY2020. From $97,470 in FY2020 to $124,363 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Chemical Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 1,679 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Chemical Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2041, Chemical Engineers). The median base salary is $118,700, 3% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $92,700 and $141,000. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 28% of filings. Houston, TX has the most filings (164), and Eli Lilly and Company is the employer that files the most (40).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Chemical Engineer
Eli Lilly and Company40 filings · 2%$140,520
Micron39 filings · 2%$119,410
Applied Materials39 filings · 2%$151,070
Tesla31 filings · 2%$149,000
Amgen27 filings · 2%$136,376
The Dow Chemical Company27 filings · 2%$119,142
Evonik22 filings · 1%$118,079
Western Digital Technologies19 filings · 1%$162,344
Cummins18 filings · 1%$93,829
Battelle Memorial Institute16 filings · 1%$98,613
Employers with the most Chemical Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Chemical Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 25% of filings
Mid-level · 28% of filings
Senior · 24% of filings
Expert · 23% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $84,604 | 384 |
| Level II · Qualified | $110,531 | 429 |
| Level III · Experienced | $130,000 | 357 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $152,981 | 344 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Chemical Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 40 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | $138,403 | 164 |
| Boston, MA | $127,360 | 117 |
| San Jose, CA | $150,000 | 105 |
| San Francisco, CA | $130,000 | 97 |
| New York, NY | $117,800 | 87 |
| Chicago, IL | $121,190 | 57 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $135,960 | 43 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $120,505 | 42 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $107,325 | 42 |
| Boise, ID | $121,554 | 30 |
| Washington, DC | $111,000 | 25 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $117,478 | 23 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $109,054 | 21 |
| Raleigh, NC | $77,000 | 21 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $116,688 | 20 |
| Albany, NY | $103,033 | 19 |
| Allentown, PA | $122,200 | 18 |
| Atlanta, GA | $98,143 | 18 |
| Knoxville, TN | $120,480 | 17 |
| Columbus, IN | $95,649 | 16 |
| Midland, MI | $119,142 | 16 |
| Worcester, MA | $113,615 | 16 |
| Austin, TX | $142,313 | 15 |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,801 | 15 |
| St. Louis, MO | $65,562 | 15 |
| Madison, WI | $90,103 | 14 |
| Oxnard, CA | $144,985 | 14 |
| Riverside, CA | $103,936 | 14 |
| Dallas, TX | $112,861 | 13 |
| Denver, CO | $94,952 | 13 |
| Portland, OR | $135,699 | 13 |
| Buffalo, NY | $130,699 | 12 |
| Miami, FL | $96,179 | 12 |
| Salt Lake, UT | $111,000 | 12 |
| San Diego, CA | $133,893 | 12 |
| Columbus, OH | $122,000 | 11 |
| Detroit, MI | $114,400 | 11 |
| Reno, NV | $119,262 | 11 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $137,913 | 10 |
| Trenton, NJ | $108,000 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Chemical Engineer does
Design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper, and pulp, by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Typical tasks
- Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
- Design and plan layout of equipment.
- Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Chemical Engineers (17-2041.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Chemical Engineers), the median annual wage was $125,040 in May 2025, with 21,070 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $118,700, 5% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,000 | $79,420 |
| 25th percentile | $92,700 | $97,820 |
| Median | $118,700 | $125,040 |
| 75th percentile | $141,000 | $157,190 |
| 90th percentile | $163,204 | $182,880 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $75,000 |
| 25th | $92,700 |
| 50th (median) | $118,700 |
| 75th | $141,000 |
| 90th | $163,204 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $97,470 | $79,100 | $119,393 | 970 |
| FY2021 | $100,000 | $83,242 | $120,000 | 992 |
| FY2022 | $105,000 | $85,816 | $122,000 | 1,077 |
| FY2023 | $108,638 | $85,405 | $128,000 | 821 |
| FY2024 | $111,340 | $91,000 | $129,958 | 892 |
| FY2025 | $112,305 | $88,000 | $136,771 | 994 |
| FY2026 | $124,363 | $102,500 | $148,227 | 685 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Chemical Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Chemical Engineer jobs is $118,700 (1,679 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $92,700 and $141,000.
What does an entry-level Chemical Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $84,604. Level I accounts for 25% of Chemical Engineer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Chemical Engineers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Chemical Engineer jobs: $150,000 (105 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Chemical Engineers?
Eli Lilly and Company (40), Micron (39) and Applied Materials (39) filed the most Chemical Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Chemical Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($118,700) is 5% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($125,040, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.