SOC 17-2041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Chemical Engineers — Alabama
Alabama · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $135,030 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $125,040.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.6%
- Openings per year
- 1,100
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
5.1% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Alabama.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage here is $135,030 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $125,040. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $96,820 and $141,840. The lowest tenth earn under $77,750, while the highest tenth earn more than $164,700.
The area has 600 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 2.08 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Alabama ranks number 3rd out of 41 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Mobile records the highest median at $137,170. Of the 690 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 30th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $77,750 | −37.8% |
| 25th | $96,820 | −22.6% |
| Median (50th) | $135,030 | +8.0% |
| 75th | $141,840 | +13.4% |
| 90th | $164,700 | +31.7% |
| Mean | $124,470 | −0.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mobile | $137,170 | 150 | |
| 2 | Decatur | $109,160 | 60 | |
| 3 | Huntsville | $101,480 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $135,030 goes as far as $152,061 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 21.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$135,030as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$152,061US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $135,030 a year, 8.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $77,750 to $164,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 600 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 3rd of 41 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Mobile, at $137,170.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Chemical Engineers in Alabama?
The median annual wage is $135,030, or $64.92 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $125,040, so pay in Alabama is 8.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Alabama earns more than $164,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $77,750 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Mobile, at $137,170 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 600 jobs in this occupation in Alabama. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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