SOC 19-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Chemists — San Jose
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Chemists in San Jose, CA is $114,890 per year, well above the national median of $91,240.
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
- +4.9%
- Openings per year
- 6,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
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 for Chemists in San Jose, CA is $114,890 per year, well above the national median of $91,240. The gap of 25.9% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $91,010 and $150,630. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $75,990 and the ninetieth at $184,590.
Employment stands at 580, or 0.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $127,790. Of the 574 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 171st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $75,990 | −16.7% |
| 25th | $91,010 | −0.3% |
| Median (50th) | $114,890 | +25.9% |
| 75th | $150,630 | +65.1% |
| 90th | $184,590 | +102.3% |
| Mean | $121,350 | +33.0% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $127,790 | 2,180 | |
| 2 | Bakersfield | $97,570 | 190 | |
| 3 | Santa Cruz | $95,840 | 70 | |
| 4 | San Diego | $95,160 | 1,370 | |
| 5 | Salinas | $95,080 | 30 | |
| 6 | Riverside | $92,660 | 480 | |
| 7 | Santa Rosa | $92,240 | 80 | |
| 8 | Napa | $89,180 | 50 | |
| 9 | Visalia | $87,570 | 30 | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | $87,060 | 3,190 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in San Jose run 10.4% above the national average, so the median of $114,890 buys what $104,067 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 14.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$114,890as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$104,067US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $114,890 a year, 25.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $75,990 to $184,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 580 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $127,790.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Chemists in San Jose, CA?
The median annual wage is $114,890, or $55.24 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 $91,240, so pay in San Jose, CA is 25.9% 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 San Jose, CA earns more than $184,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $75,990 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 San Francisco, at $127,790 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 580 jobs in this occupation in San Jose, CA. 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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