SOC 19-2031 · Life, physical and social science
Chemists prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $119,538 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV down to $53,123 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, a spread of $66,415 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $94,786 | $119,538 | $144,310 | $169,062 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,410 | $106,517 | $130,624 | $154,731 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $78,312 | $99,715 | $121,139 | $142,542 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $74,880 | $98,280 | $121,659 | $145,059 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $69,306 | $93,683 | $118,040 | $142,418 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $69,430 | $89,981 | $110,552 | $131,102 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $69,680 | $85,987 | $102,315 | $118,622 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $68,661 | $85,779 | $102,918 | $120,037 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $67,038 | $85,322 | $103,584 | $121,867 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $64,542 | $83,221 | $101,878 | $120,557 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $65,603 | $82,950 | $100,277 | $117,624 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $62,899 | $82,888 | $102,898 | $122,886 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,981 | $82,534 | $101,067 | $119,621 |
| Rochester, NY | $66,997 | $82,389 | $97,802 | $113,194 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $63,544 | $82,098 | $100,672 | $119,226 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $66,186 | $81,994 | $97,781 | $113,589 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,501 | $81,744 | $98,966 | $116,210 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $64,168 | $81,661 | $99,174 | $116,667 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $64,501 | $80,870 | $97,240 | $113,610 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $65,874 | $80,600 | $95,347 | $110,074 |
| Columbus, OH | $63,586 | $80,142 | $96,678 | $113,235 |
| Cleveland, OH | $65,790 | $79,456 | $93,142 | $106,808 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $58,698 | $79,102 | $99,528 | $119,933 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $61,901 | $78,125 | $94,349 | $110,573 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $61,651 | $77,730 | $93,829 | $109,907 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $60,258 | $77,230 | $94,224 | $111,197 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $62,982 | $77,210 | $91,416 | $105,643 |
| Richmond, VA | $56,576 | $76,440 | $96,325 | $116,189 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $60,840 | $74,630 | $88,421 | $102,211 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $56,306 | $73,757 | $91,187 | $108,638 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $58,261 | $73,382 | $88,504 | $103,626 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $60,507 | $72,488 | $84,448 | $96,429 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $59,280 | $71,365 | $83,470 | $95,555 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $55,453 | $70,907 | $86,341 | $101,795 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $54,642 | $70,283 | $85,904 | $101,546 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $52,749 | $68,536 | $84,323 | $100,110 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $51,314 | $65,853 | $80,392 | $94,931 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $49,109 | $64,875 | $80,662 | $96,429 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $45,448 | $53,123 | $60,798 | $68,474 |
39 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 357 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level I. The median wage actually offered was $88,150 a year, from 380 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 97 | 27.2% |
| Level II | 96 | 26.9% |
| Level III | 88 | 24.6% |
| Level IV | 76 | 21.3% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Chemists with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.