Average Chemical Engineers Salary in California

BLS did not publish a wage for chemical engineers in California in the latest release, but in 2023 the local median hourly wage was $53.33. There are 1,260 workers employed locally today.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates for California (state).

No annual salary published for this location. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for chemical engineers in California. This is common for occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (actors, athletes, musicians, dancers). No wage figures were published at all for this location in the latest release.

Local employment

Workers tracked locally: 1,260
How common this job is here: 0.53×; Less concentrated here than nationally.

The last time BLS reported wages here

The latest release does not include a wage figure for chemical engineers in California, but earlier releases did. Here is the most recent year with a published wage.

Last reporting year: 2023
Median hourly wage (2023): $53.33/hr
Median annual wage (2023): $110,920
Employment (2023): 1,550

This data is from the 2023 BLS release. Recent figures may differ — small-sample suppression is common for this occupation.

Metros inside California

Pay and employment for chemical engineers often cluster in specific cities within the state. Drill into any metro for its local breakdown.

Where chemical engineers earn the most per hour

Locations where BLS did publish hourly wage data for chemical engineers this release, ranked highest to lowest.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Oklahoma: $77.40/hr
New Mexico: $70.81/hr
West Virginia: $67.18/hr
Texas: $64.98/hr
Virginia: $63.73/hr
New York: $63.69/hr
Colorado: $63.34/hr
Delaware: $63.14/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

Tulsa, OK: $81.37/hr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: $73.22/hr
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: $72.77/hr
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: $67.74/hr
Kennewick-Richland, WA: $67.10/hr
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: $65.32/hr
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: $65.30/hr
Bakersfield-Delano, CA: $65.30/hr

National job outlook

BLS publishes national employment projections for chemical engineers from 2024 to 2034. These projections are national and not broken down by state.

Projected growth: +2.6%; 600 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 1,100; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Many of these follow similar hourly or project-based pay patterns.