Chemical Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 25 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Manassas, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Arlington, Beltsville.
Also listed as: Process Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $81,872 |
| 25th | $100,000 |
| 50th (median) | $111,000 |
| 75th | $137,917 |
| 90th | $157,916 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $81,000 | $76,778 | $95,805 | 17 |
| FY2021 | $85,500 | $84,272 | $105,000 | 21 |
| FY2022 | $96,621 | $90,022 | $106,043 | 24 |
| FY2023 | $98,787 | $93,995 | $108,035 | 12 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2025 | $101,366 | $90,100 | $115,172 | 12 |
| FY2026 | $115,031 | $110,531 | $144,715 | 13 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Chemical Engineer salary of $111,000 is worth about $101,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Chemical Engineers in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $132,820 in May 2025 (640 employed). The H-1B median here is $111,000, 16% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Micron | $110,892 | 10 |
| EOI Consulting Group | too few | 2 |
| Theiss Research | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 3 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 5 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 2 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.