Which state pays chemistry bachelor's graduates the most?

Wisconsin, where the median program pays its graduates $48,895 in their first year, the highest of 13 state rankings. Massachusetts is next, at $47,313.

Which chemistry bachelor's program pays the most?

Northeastern University in Massachusetts reports the highest first-year pay of the 189 programs ranked here, $62,511. Its median federal debt is $24,500.

How much debt do chemistry bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $23,600 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 55% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Chemistry (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

189 programs report first-year pay
13 state rankings
Bachelor's in Chemistry

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median chemistry bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $42,204 in their first year and $66,546 five years after. Wisconsin has the highest state median ($48,895), and Florida the lowest ($31,663). The median program leaves its graduates with $23,600 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$42,204Across 189 programs

Median pay after 5 years$66,546Across 193 programs

Median federal debt$23,600Across 235 programs

Debt-to-earnings55%Across 174 programs

All 189 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$62,511	$59,108	$95,388	$24,500	39%
2	UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · public	$59,576	$53,808	$65,228	$11,172	19%
3	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$55,389	$50,907	Not reported	$23,600	43%
4	Bridgewater StateBridgewater, MA · public	$55,376	$52,362	$82,869	$27,000	49%
5	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$54,055	Not adjusted	$77,070	$24,893	46%
6	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$53,607	$49,269	$75,861	$27,000	50%
7	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$52,765	$50,272	$78,982	$23,000	44%
8	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$52,645	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	51%
9	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$52,216	$50,397	$72,122	$26,158	50%
10	UC MercedMerced, CA · public	$50,944	$46,012	$64,086	$15,000	29%
11	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$50,717	$52,255	$74,603	$12,000	24%
12	UW-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI · public	$50,659	$53,838	$60,104	$23,250	46%
13	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$50,553	$45,658	$80,456	$15,680	31%
14	Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA · public	$50,524	$51,781	$66,235	$20,250	40%
15	Weber StateOgden, UT · public	$50,350	$50,929	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
16	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$50,304	Not adjusted	$60,676	$24,250	48%
17	Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD · public	$50,169	$47,799	Not reported	$27,000	54%
18	Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$50,007	$50,706	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
19	University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · public	$49,497	Not adjusted	$76,484	$24,830	50%
20	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$49,462	$50,962	$72,127	$19,500	39%
21	Salem StateSalem, MA · public	$49,439	$46,748	Not reported	$27,000	55%
22	UW-PlattevillePlatteville, WI · public	$49,386	$52,485	$63,564	$26,000	53%
23	Cal State San MarcosSan Marcos, CA · public	$49,382	$44,601	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
24	Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$49,215	Not adjusted	$88,515	$29,667	60%
25	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$48,903	$51,972	$70,214	$25,250	52%
26	UW-MadisonMadison, WI · public	$48,886	$51,954	$73,896	$26,043	53%
27	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$48,783	$50,262	Not reported	$20,747	43%
28	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$48,527	$45,347	$77,595	$22,104	46%
29	Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · public	$48,382	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,031	48%
30	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$48,334	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	52%
31	University at AlbanyAlbany, NY · public	$48,276	$44,733	$67,794	$25,856	54%
32	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$48,147	$51,897	$65,091	$24,744	51%
33	East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	$47,875	$50,755	$67,259	$24,250	51%
34	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$47,451	$48,114	$70,655	$21,158	45%
35	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$47,387	$51,078	$67,758	$23,750	50%
36	College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	$47,313	$44,737	$84,834	$27,000	57%
37	PurdueWest Lafayette, IN · public	$47,213	$50,588	$59,928	$19,500	41%
38	UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · public	$47,197	$42,627	$79,458	$15,805	33%
39	NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	$47,071	$49,902	Not reported	$20,154	43%
40	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$47,034	$47,054	$75,401	$21,500	46%
41	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$47,009	$48,179	$70,919	$27,000	57%
42	Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL · public	$46,659	$46,679	$68,130	$25,000	54%
43	Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	$46,641	Not adjusted	$69,682	$25,484	55%
44	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$46,496	$48,324	$57,685	$25,000	54%
45	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$46,369	$43,330	$68,591	$15,389	33%
46	University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	$46,140	Not adjusted	$78,447	$21,238	46%
47	Cal State Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA · public	$46,131	$41,665	Not reported	$21,375	46%
48	JMUHarrisonburg, VA · public	$45,799	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,332	55%
49	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$45,513	$45,016	$70,473	$26,497	58%
50	University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	$45,406	$44,061	$62,043	$26,626	59%
51	UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · public	$45,310	$40,923	$83,272	$16,100	36%
52	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$45,279	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	45%
53	Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI · private nonprofit	$45,188	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	60%
54	Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	$45,076	$40,712	Not reported	$18,675	41%
55	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$45,060	Not adjusted	$60,017	$22,300	49%
56	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$44,970	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,500	61%
57	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$44,949	$41,312	$76,056	$23,250	52%
58	Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	$44,944	$40,592	Not reported	$11,000	24%
59	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$44,874	$40,529	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
60	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$44,847	Not adjusted	$61,755	$25,956	58%
61	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$44,674	$45,299	$73,736	$22,500	50%
62	Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · public	$44,648	$43,653	$94,239	$13,867	31%
63	Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$44,555	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,000	52%
64	UNC WilmingtonWilmington, NC · public	$44,473	$47,148	$61,124	$19,935	45%
65	Fort Hays StateHays, KS · public	$44,261	Not adjusted	$46,464	$31,000	70%
66	UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	$44,215	Not adjusted	Not reported	$16,750	38%
67	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$44,140	Not adjusted	$94,846	Not reported	Not reported
68	Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public	$44,137	Not adjusted	$55,473	Not reported	Not reported
69	St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	$44,020	Not adjusted	$65,522	$24,988	57%
70	Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TX · public	$43,940	$45,272	$56,588	$28,775	65%
71	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$43,870	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	53%
72	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$43,840	Not adjusted	$60,969	$26,000	59%
73	UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	$43,766	$39,529	$72,001	$13,276	30%
74	Wichita StateWichita, KS · public	$43,740	$48,563	$61,822	$26,000	59%
75	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$43,634	$42,194	Not reported	$19,706	45%
76	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$43,603	$39,381	$67,059	$17,499	40%
77	University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · public	$43,571	$44,655	$71,533	$27,000	62%
78	Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ · private nonprofit	$43,512	Not adjusted	$66,546	$27,000	62%
79	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$43,383	$44,698	$66,779	$18,500	43%
80	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$43,349	$46,725	$71,665	$25,751	59%
81	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$43,294	$39,102	$65,641	$23,750	55%
82	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$43,061	$43,079	$62,503	$23,023	53%
83	University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · public	$43,013	$42,724	$74,225	$24,245	56%
84	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$42,897	$44,198	Not reported	$27,500	64%
85	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$42,889	$45,955	$68,499	$17,000	40%
86	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$42,715	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
87	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$42,698	$46,024	$73,644	$25,225	59%
88	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$42,677	Not adjusted	$65,443	$25,000	59%
89	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$42,660	$41,397	$80,180	$19,062	45%
90	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$42,581	$38,458	$72,393	$27,749	65%
91	Louisiana Tech UniversityRuston, LA · public	$42,572	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	63%
92	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$42,482	$45,519	$58,028	$21,902	52%
93	Austin PeayClarksville, TN · public	$42,475	Not adjusted	$54,314	$20,500	48%
94	UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	$42,358	$38,257	$69,376	$14,137	33%
95	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$42,204	$38,118	$81,776	$14,000	33%
96	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$42,022	$43,068	$72,121	$24,000	57%
97	University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · public	$41,842	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,411	58%
98	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$41,779	$40,420	$70,654	$25,500	61%
99	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$41,589	$45,269	$58,622	$19,500	47%
100	UT ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · public	$41,588	Not adjusted	$61,703	$24,999	60%
101	University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · public	$41,275	$41,749	$66,729	$18,375	45%
102	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$41,166	Not adjusted	$63,214	$23,750	58%
103	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$40,845	$40,570	$66,140	$21,500	53%
104	Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · private nonprofit	$40,840	Not adjusted	$68,979	$12,000	29%
105	Southern Connecticut StateNew Haven, CT · public	$40,767	Not adjusted	Not reported	$28,500	70%
106	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$40,700	$41,934	$59,543	$20,835	51%
107	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$40,629	$39,288	$63,894	$23,000	57%
108	University of IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · private nonprofit	$40,612	$43,515	$67,717	$23,214	57%
109	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$40,488	$42,923	$61,601	$24,949	62%
110	Cal State San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA · public	$40,402	$36,490	$66,198	$16,553	41%
111	University of WyomingLaramie, WY · public	$40,280	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
112	Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI · private nonprofit	$39,940	Not adjusted	$81,184	$27,000	68%
113	Saint Joseph's UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$39,914	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
114	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$39,790	$42,889	$76,430	$25,000	63%
115	Stanislaus StateTurlock, CA · public	$39,771	$35,920	$88,087	Not reported	Not reported
116	UMKCKansas City, MO · public	$39,725	$43,742	$69,063	$24,821	62%
117	UC Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · public	$39,700	$35,856	$66,290	$15,000	38%
118	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$39,676	$35,835	$56,178	$21,750	55%
119	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$39,614	$39,622	Not reported	$16,552	42%
120	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$39,531	$41,085	$57,345	$28,481	72%
121	Northwest Missouri StateMaryville, MO · public	$39,478	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,884	63%
122	Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA · public	$39,245	$38,816	$61,514	$27,000	69%
123	College of CharlestonCharleston, SC · public	$39,208	Not adjusted	$58,303	$27,000	69%
124	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$39,157	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	69%
125	Radford UniversityRadford, VA · public	$39,090	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	67%
126	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$39,018	$41,620	$70,138	$25,046	64%
127	UH-DowntownHouston, TX · public	$38,954	$40,135	$54,946	Not reported	Not reported
128	SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$38,919	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	60%
129	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$38,790	$40,283	$68,353	$23,511	61%
130	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$38,766	$38,505	$55,428	$21,885	56%
131	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$38,664	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,508	63%
132	VCURichmond, VA · public	$38,571	$38,150	$63,326	$21,872	57%
133	UNTDenton, TX · public	$38,006	$39,158	$58,789	$23,151	61%
134	Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN · private nonprofit	$37,526	Not adjusted	$71,188	$27,000	72%
135	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$37,249	Not adjusted	$80,938	$23,250	62%
136	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$36,946	$42,497	Not reported	$21,125	57%
137	UNC AshevilleAsheville, NC · public	$36,891	$39,110	$55,189	$12,825	35%
137	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$36,891	Not adjusted	$71,142	$24,356	66%
139	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$36,881	$40,145	$74,721	$20,000	54%
140	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$36,771	$39,079	$63,792	Not reported	Not reported
141	Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA · public	$36,597	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	74%
142	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$35,813	$37,221	$59,768	$21,590	60%
143	UNC PembrokePembroke, NC · public	$35,579	$37,719	$48,762	$25,766	72%
144	UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC · public	$35,482	$37,616	$65,102	$26,000	73%
145	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$35,395	$34,244	$84,800	$24,773	70%
146	University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · public	$35,284	$32,694	$55,029	$23,250	66%
147	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$35,132	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,219	75%
148	William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · public	$35,130	Not adjusted	$80,208	$19,500	56%
149	Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public	$35,115	$32,538	$83,529	$19,500	56%
150	FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	$35,015	$33,859	$47,301	$25,000	71%
151	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$34,977	$36,324	$65,951	$23,500	67%
152	La Roche UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$34,906	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,956	74%
153	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$34,872	Not adjusted	$62,909	$24,875	71%
154	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$34,512	$38,279	$82,608	$23,584	68%
155	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$34,417	$33,398	$62,636	$29,318	85%
156	Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$34,239	$31,726	$82,987	Not reported	Not reported
157	Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO · public	$34,159	Not adjusted	Not reported	$15,417	45%
158	Cal Poly HumboldtArcata, CA · public	$33,972	$30,683	Not reported	$24,000	71%
159	UABBirmingham, AL · public	$33,931	$38,201	$59,510	$26,000	77%
160	Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	$33,836	$35,139	$66,683	$27,683	82%
161	Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$33,203	$31,027	Not reported	$26,000	78%
162	UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · public	$32,516	$34,472	$67,202	$14,250	44%
163	Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV · public	$32,143	Not adjusted	$69,097	$11,953	37%
164	Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$32,130	Not adjusted	$64,937	$20,000	62%
165	Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL · public	$31,980	$31,993	$71,894	$27,000	84%
166	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$31,893	$33,121	$53,904	$19,493	61%
167	Lehman CollegeBronx, NY · public	$31,815	$29,480	Not reported	$12,136	38%
168	Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · public	$31,685	$29,359	$61,248	$22,750	72%
169	University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL · public	$31,663	$30,618	$69,271	$20,162	64%
170	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$31,573	$32,530	$68,194	$27,243	86%
171	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$31,419	Not adjusted	$69,082	$20,250	64%
172	UVACharlottesville, VA · public	$30,599	$30,265	$69,058	$19,425	63%
173	University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM · public	$30,122	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,343	87%
174	John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights, OH · private nonprofit	$30,087	Not adjusted	$65,924	$27,000	90%
175	Duke UniversityDurham, NC · private nonprofit	$29,748	Not adjusted	Not reported	$8,457	28%
176	USFTampa, FL · public	$29,399	$28,428	$58,727	$16,013	54%
177	Hunter CollegeNew York, NY · public	$29,340	$27,187	$68,071	$9,000	31%
178	FIUMiami, FL · public	$28,660	$27,714	$70,638	$15,750	55%
179	Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$28,372	Not adjusted	$60,338	$15,121	53%
180	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$26,513	$28,108	$58,765	$20,824	79%
181	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$25,418	$24,579	$62,885	$14,824	58%
182	Mercer UniversityMacon, GA · private nonprofit	$25,151	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,500	101%
183	UTRGVEdinburg, TX · public	$22,913	$23,608	$63,154	$10,500	46%
184	University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA · private nonprofit	$22,881	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,000	101%
185	UPR HumacaoHumacao, PR · public	$22,743	Not adjusted	$42,696	Not reported	Not reported
186	University of Arkansas-Fort SmithFort Smith, AR · public	$22,255	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
187	Hope CollegeHolland, MI · private nonprofit	$21,199	Not adjusted	$68,029	$26,636	126%
188	Fresno StateFresno, CA · public	$18,896	$17,066	$50,671	$17,500	93%
189	UPR MayaguezMayaguez, PR · public	$16,465	Not adjusted	Not reported	$9,500	58%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 125 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 64, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

15 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

Chemistry (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's chemistry bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Wisconsin	6	$48,895	$25,625
2	Massachusetts	7	$47,313	$27,000
3	California	23	$43,766	$16,100
4	Ohio	8	$43,595	$25,751
5	Pennsylvania	9	$43,571	$27,000
6	Indiana	6	$42,580	$23,081
7	Texas	12	$41,799	$21,993
8	Michigan	6	$39,736	$25,250
9	Virginia	9	$39,090	$23,625
10	North Carolina	10	$36,235	$20,824
11	New York	10	$34,677	$23,000
12	Georgia	7	$33,836	$23,500
13	Florida	7	$31,663	$19,706

Programs in 29 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Duke University, NC$8,457
Hunter College, NY$9,000
UTRGV, TX$10,500
Cal State LA, CA$11,000
UC Berkeley, CA$11,172
University of Houston, TX$12,000
Williams College, MA$12,000
Lehman College, NY$12,136
UNC Asheville, NC$12,825
UC Irvine, CA$13,276

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 111 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to chemistry, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,040

Median pay in the US. 1,065,210 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,780Top 10%: $107,600

Data Scientists

$120,230

Median pay in the US. 262,440 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $67,240Top 10%: $199,130

Natural Sciences Managers

$167,220

Median pay in the US. 108,690 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $79,710Top 10%: $316,850

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$82,220

Median pay in the US. 89,250 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $52,520Top 10%: $140,010

Common questions

The median chemistry bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $42,204 in their first year and $66,546 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024