Chemistry degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in chemistry earn a median $66,486 four years after finishing, across 209 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in chemistry earn $62,968, $919 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is chemists and materials scientists (12%).
Median across 209 colleges; middle half $60,318–$73,245.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $41,549–$86,296. 2,517 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Chemistry"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$27,330/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs chemistry graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in chemistry actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemists And Materials Scientists | 12% | $95,060 | +6.6% | — | — |
| Postsecondary Teachers | 5% | $82,250 | +6.0% | — | — |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 5% | $122,570 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree | IRC |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Other Life, Physical, And Social Science Technicians | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Teaching Assistants | 3% | $37,010 | +0.0% | — | — |
| Software Developers | 2% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists And Technicians | 2% | $62,930 | +2.7% | Bachelor's degree | — |
These 8 jobs account for 35% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Chemistry earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $59,438 (4) | — |
| Arkansas | $55,467 (3) | — |
| California | $70,741 (23) | $73,098 (326) |
| Colorado | $65,414 (5) | — |
| Connecticut | $84,609 (7) | — |
| Florida | $57,550 (6) | $59,662 (100) |
| Georgia | $60,064 (7) | — |
| Illinois | $67,006 (7) | $67,006 (137) |
| Indiana | $63,004 (6) | — |
| Kentucky | $65,038 (3) | — |
| Massachusetts | $79,665 (8) | — |
| Michigan | $65,787 (6) | — |
| Minnesota | $65,644 (4) | — |
| Missouri | $60,950 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $73,823 (8) | $62,968 (111) |
| New York | $68,670 (14) | $65,989 (173) |
| North Carolina | $63,288 (9) | $59,879 (112) |
| Ohio | $57,615 (14) | — |
| Oregon | $78,417 (5) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $70,206 (12) | — |
| South Carolina | $60,324 (3) | — |
| Tennessee | $64,361 (4) | — |
| Texas | $63,619 (12) | $51,325 (184) |
| Virginia | $73,395 (7) | — |
| Washington | $64,676 (5) | — |
| Wisconsin | $64,734 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where chemistry graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 25 in Florida, 36 in Virginia, 63 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $82,386 | $11,172 |
| 2 | California State University-NorthridgeCA | $79,878 | — |
| 3 | William & MaryVA | $78,270 | $19,500 |
| 4 | George Mason UniversityVA | $77,681 | $24,250 |
| 5 | University of California-San DiegoCA | $77,249 | $16,100 |
| 6 | University of California-IrvineCA | $74,810 | $13,276 |
| 7 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $74,713 | $15,805 |
| 8 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $74,676 | $17,499 |
| 9 | James Madison UniversityVA | $74,631 | $25,332 |
| 10 | California State University-SacramentoCA | $74,430 | $27,749 |
| 11 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $73,395 | $26,497 |
| 12 | California State University-StanislausCA | $73,392 | — |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Chemistry degree questions
How much do Chemistry graduates make?
Chemistry graduates earn a median $66,486 four years after finishing, across 209 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $60,318 to $73,245; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in chemistry, the median is $62,968 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Chemistry degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in chemistry earn a median $62,968: $919 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $27,330 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Chemistry graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in chemistry, the most common jobs are chemists and materials scientists (12%), postsecondary teachers (5%), physical scientists, all other (5%). Chemists And Materials Scientists earn a U.S. median $95,060.
How much do Chemistry graduates earn in Florida?
Across 6 Florida colleges reporting, Chemistry graduates earn a median $57,550 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $59,662.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Chemistry degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/chemistry.