Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Boulder, CO make a median of $125,800 a year, or about $60.48 an hour. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $195K for experienced workers.
So what does $126K get you in Boulder?
About chemical engineers
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $128K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $139K | , |
| Wichita | $129K | $145K |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $86K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $195K or more, a $113K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158K | +27% | 160 |
| Virginia | $136K | +9% | 790 |
| Alabama | $135K | +8% | 600 |
| Louisiana | $135K | +8% | 730 |
| Delaware | $134K | +7% | 370 |
| Texas | $133K | +6% | 2,610 |
| West Virginia | $129K | +3% | 160 |
| New York | $129K | +3% | 540 |
| Washington | $128K | +3% | 650 |
| Oklahoma | $128K | +2% | 110 |
| Montana | $127K | +2% | 80 |
| Maryland | $127K | +2% | 500 |
| New Jersey | $127K | +1% | 440 |
| Colorado | $126K | +1% | 720 |
| Illinois | $122K | -3% | 520 |
| Massachusetts | $118K | -6% | 1,460 |
| Iowa | $118K | -6% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $117K | -6% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $117K | -6% | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $117K | -6% | 810 |
| Oregon | $117K | -6% | 140 |
| North Dakota | $115K | -8% | 80 |
| Indiana | $113K | -10% | 720 |
| Rhode Island | $112K | -11% | 50 |
| Ohio | $111K | -11% | 1,030 |
| Florida | $109K | -13% | 230 |
| Minnesota | $108K | -14% | 210 |
| Mississippi | $107K | -15% | 150 |
| Idaho | $107K | -15% | 140 |
| Alaska | $106K | -15% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $105K | -16% | 290 |
| Georgia | $104K | -17% | 330 |
| Michigan | $103K | -17% | 670 |
| Missouri | $102K | -18% | 320 |
| Connecticut | $102K | -18% | 410 |
| Kansas | $102K | -18% | 280 |
| South Carolina | $102K | -19% | 390 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -21% | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $98K | -22% | 110 |
| Utah | $86K | -32% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $73K | -41% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chemical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
Yes — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 26.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,907/month.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Boulder?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $126K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Boulder pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +1%.
How much do chemical engineers make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $125,800 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,780, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $195,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,600/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 26.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chemical engineers salary go in Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical engineers salary is worth about $125,800 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.