Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT make a median of $107,240 a year, or about $51.56 an hour. The range runs from $86K at the entry level to $184K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.86), so that salary is closer to $100,356 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,511/month, about 38% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $107K get you in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury’s Regional Price Parity (106.86). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chemical engineers
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What this looks like in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
Pay for chemical engineers in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $125K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,511/month, which is 38.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 7% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.86), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chemical engineerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $101K | $99K |
| New Haven | $103K | $98K |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $102K | $101K |
| Rochester | $134K | $138K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $86K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $184K or more, a $97K 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 with published data
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 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 38.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,511/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $86K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,165/month. At HUD’s $2,511/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $107K here vs. $125K nationally.
How does Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT?
The median is $107,240 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $86,090, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $183,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,529/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,511/month, which eats 38.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chemical engineers salary go in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury has a Regional Price Parity of 106.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical engineers salary is worth about $100,356 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.