U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsConduct chemical and physical laboratory tests to assist scientists in making qualitative and quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, and gaseous materials for research and development of new products or processes, quality control, maintenance of environmental standards, and other work involving experimental, theoretical, or practical application of chemistry and related sciences.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59,650 | 2.0 % | $21.42 | $44,560 | 0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $12.50 | $15.66 | $20.23 | $26.43 | $32.86 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $25,990 | $32,580 | $42,070 | $54,970 | $68,340 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 13,890 | 1.08 | $17.69 | $36,800 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 7,210 | 1.14 | $23.77 | $49,440 |
| Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 5,090 | 3.57 | $24.98 | $51,950 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 4,860 | 1.83 | $22.03 | $45,820 |
| Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 2,430 | 2.77 | $23.94 | $49,800 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing | 2,380 | 4.26 | $22.45 | $46,700 |
| Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 5,090 | 3.57 | $24.98 | $51,950 |
| Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 2,430 | 2.77 | $23.94 | $49,800 |
| Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing | 1,770 | 2.10 | $22.29 | $46,370 |
| Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing | 660 | 1.86 | $21.86 | $45,470 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 60 | 0.04 | $31.72 | $65,980 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 60 | (7) | $31.21 | $64,910 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 830 | 0.21 | $29.11 | $60,550 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 630 | 0.03 | $25.74 | $53,530 |
| Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 170 | 0.07 | $25.03 | $52,070 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6,190 | 0.44 | 0.95 | $22.39 | $46,560 |
| Texas | 4,530 | 0.44 | 0.95 | $24.63 | $51,240 |
| New York | 3,910 | 0.46 | 1.00 | $22.60 | $47,010 |
| New Jersey | 3,850 | 1.02 | 2.20 | $22.66 | $47,120 |
| Ohio | 3,580 | 0.72 | 1.55 | $20.26 | $42,140 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 600 | 1.50 | 3.22 | $26.63 | $55,400 |
| Wyoming | 290 | 1.08 | 2.33 | $18.90 | $39,310 |
| New Jersey | 3,850 | 1.02 | 2.20 | $22.66 | $47,120 |
| West Virginia | 580 | 0.82 | 1.77 | $19.43 | $40,410 |
| Utah | 920 | 0.79 | 1.69 | $19.09 | $39,710 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 80 | 0.27 | 0.58 | $27.76 | $57,740 |
| Delaware | 600 | 1.50 | 3.22 | $26.63 | $55,400 |
| Alaska | 60 | 0.20 | 0.44 | $26.45 | $55,010 |
| New Mexico | 240 | 0.31 | 0.66 | $26.33 | $54,770 |
| Massachusetts | 2,350 | 0.75 | 1.60 | $24.82 | $51,630 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division | 2,190 | 0.61 | 1.31 | $19.22 | $39,980 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 2,080 | 0.82 | 1.76 | $27.16 | $56,500 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 2,050 | 0.40 | 0.87 | $22.84 | $47,510 |
| Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division | 1,530 | 1.60 | 3.43 | $21.30 | $44,310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,460 | 0.38 | 0.82 | $21.24 | $44,180 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 1,160 | 0.69 | 1.48 | $25.30 | $52,620 |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 1,050 | 1.08 | 2.31 | $20.50 | $42,640 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,010 | 1.06 | 2.27 | $24.71 | $51,390 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 930 | 0.51 | 1.10 | $21.08 | $43,850 |
| Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | 930 | 0.98 | 2.10 | $23.37 | $48,620 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | 260 | 3.06 | 6.59 | $25.70 | $53,450 |
| Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division | 270 | 2.41 | 5.18 | $24.19 | $50,320 |
| Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division | 760 | 2.40 | 5.15 | $27.36 | $56,910 |
| Decatur, AL | 120 | 2.37 | 5.11 | $24.35 | $50,650 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 220 | 2.17 | 4.67 | $23.48 | $48,840 |
| Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA | 240 | 2.09 | 4.50 | $21.22 | $44,140 |
| Cleveland, TN | 70 | 2.00 | 4.29 | $23.52 | $48,910 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 310 | 1.99 | 4.28 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 240 | 1.84 | 3.95 | $20.82 | $43,310 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | 1.74 | 3.75 | $28.46 | $59,190 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 390 | 1.19 | 2.56 | $31.02 | $64,510 |
| New Bedford, MA | 50 | 0.84 | 1.80 | $28.86 | $60,030 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | 1.74 | 3.75 | $28.46 | $59,190 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 310 | 1.99 | 4.28 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 160 | 0.78 | 1.67 | $27.80 | $57,810 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 570 | 1.35 | 2.91 | $27.52 | $57,240 |
| Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division | 760 | 2.40 | 5.15 | $27.36 | $56,910 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 630 | 0.51 | 1.09 | $27.31 | $56,800 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 200 | 0.55 | 1.19 | $27.30 | $56,790 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 2,080 | 0.82 | 1.76 | $27.16 | $56,500 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 420 | 7.72 | 16.60 | $25.57 | $53,190 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 350 | 1.28 | 2.75 | $19.09 | $39,700 |
| Southeast Arizona nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 4.11 | 8.85 | $21.79 | $45,330 |
| Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 3.58 | 7.70 | $14.47 | $30,090 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 0.72 | 1.55 | $19.48 | $40,510 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 420 | 7.72 | 16.60 | $25.57 | $53,190 |
| Southeast Arizona nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 4.11 | 8.85 | $21.79 | $45,330 |
| Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 3.58 | 7.70 | $14.47 | $30,090 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 350 | 1.28 | 2.75 | $19.09 | $39,700 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.08 | 2.32 | $21.89 | $45,540 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.46 | 1.00 | $31.02 | $64,510 |
| New Iberia nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.64 | 1.38 | $29.88 | $62,150 |
| Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.88 | 1.89 | $29.81 | $62,000 |
| Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $28.51 | $59,290 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 0.71 | 1.53 | $27.59 | $57,380 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files
Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012
