Senior Chemist salary in Houston, TX

Based on 14 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Freeport, Stafford, Lake Jackson.

Also listed as: Quality Control Chemist, Analytical Chemist

Median salary$117,083
Middle 50%$110.9k–$117.5k
vs. all levels here+22%comparison median $96,075
Filings14FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $84,012 and $127,436.
PercentileSalary
10th$110,864
25th$110,864
50th (median)$117,083
75th$117,495
90th$120,000

Cost of living

Houston's median senior Chemist salary of $117,083 is worth about $118,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Chemists in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $106,740 in May 2025 (2,430 employed). The H-1B median here is $117,083, 10% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
The Dow Chemical Companytoo few4

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $66,679 26
Mid-level · Level II $96,075 30
Senior · Level III $117,083 14
Expert · Level IV $142,470 11

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$63,357$66,67926
Mid-level · Level II$87,110$96,07530
Senior · Level III$110,864$117,08314
Expert · Level IV$138,882$142,47011

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.