SOC 17-2041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Chemical Engineers — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 3 metro areas compared
At $116,970, median pay for Chemical Engineers in Pennsylvania tracks the national median of $125,040 closely.
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 Pennsylvania.
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
At $116,970, median pay for Chemical Engineers in Pennsylvania tracks the national median of $125,040 closely. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $91,520 and $168,060. The lowest tenth earn under $79,940, while the highest tenth earn more than $177,510.
The area has 810 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.98 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Among the 41 states with published data for this occupation, Pennsylvania ranks 20th by median wage. Pittsburgh leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $152,290. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 68th of 778 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $79,940 | −36.1% |
| 25th | $91,520 | −26.8% |
| Median (50th) | $116,970 | −6.5% |
| 75th | $168,060 | +34.4% |
| 90th | $177,510 | +42.0% |
| Mean | $127,520 | +2.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | $152,290 | 110 | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | $127,770 | 790 | |
| 3 | Reading | $100,190 | 50 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2.4% below the national average, so the median of $116,970 goes as far as $119,846 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$116,970as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$119,846US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $116,970 a year, 6.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $79,940 to $177,510 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 810 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 20th of 41 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Pittsburgh, at $152,290.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Chemical Engineers in Pennsylvania?
The median annual wage is $116,970, or $56.23 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 Pennsylvania is 6.5% lower. 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 Pennsylvania earns more than $177,510 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $79,940 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 Pittsburgh, at $152,290 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 810 jobs in this occupation in Pennsylvania. 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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