Entry-level Chemist salary in Philadelphia, PA
Based on 63 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Exton, Wilmington, Malvern, Newtown, Collegeville.
Also listed as: Quality Control Chemist, Analytical Chemist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $58,011 |
| 25th | $65,333 |
| 50th (median) | $66,300 |
| 75th | $71,743 |
| 90th | $78,529 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $60,000 | $58,820 | $65,000 | 86 |
| FY2021 | $65,000 | $60,460 | $70,000 | 59 |
| FY2022 | $63,000 | $61,360 | $70,000 | 33 |
| FY2023 | $64,500 | $62,358 | $74,175 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $62,500 | $58,822 | $68,108 | 36 |
| FY2025 | $67,830 | $65,333 | $73,599 | 43 |
| FY2026 | $64,590 | $57,055 | $68,678 | 20 |
Cost of living
Philadelphia's median entry-level Chemist salary of $66,300 is worth about $64,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Philadelphia = 102.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Chemists in the Philadelphia, PA area earned a median of $95,440 in May 2025 (4,520 employed). The H-1B median here is $66,300, 31% lower.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Frontage Laboratories | $67,883 | 15 |
| Carnegie Pharmaceuticals | too few | 7 |
| Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania | too few | 7 |
| Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Professional Scientific Services | too few | 5 |
| i3 Pharmaceuticals | too few | 3 |
| Med Valley | too few | 3 |
| PPD Development, L.P. | too few | 3 |
| Temple University--A Commonwealth University | too few | 3 |
| Sepax Technologies | 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 | $66,300 | 63 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $84,714 | 49 |
| Senior · Level III | $105,803 | 50 |
| Expert · Level IV | $124,853 | 49 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $65,333 | $66,300 | 63 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $74,526 | $84,714 | 49 |
| Senior · Level III | $91,998 | $105,803 | 50 |
| Expert · Level IV | $109,470 | $124,853 | 49 |
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.