Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Evansville, IN make a median of $120,990 a year, or about $58.17 an hour. The range runs from $99K at the entry level to $166K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.53), which stretches that salary to about $132,186 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,113/month, or 14.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $121K actually covers in Evansville, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Evansville’s Regional Price Parity (91.53). 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 Evansville
Chemical engineers pay in Evansville tracks closely to the national median, $121K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,113/month, 14.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.53 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Evansville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $111K | $107K |
| Cincinnati | $108K | $113K |
| Cleveland | $108K | $115K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $104K | $104K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Evansville, IN
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $99K. Mid-career wages sit at $121K. Top earners bring in $166K or more, a $68K 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 annually. We'll email you when Evansville numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Evansville?
Yes — at the median salary of $121K, rent takes 14.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,113/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Evansville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $99K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,228/month. At HUD’s $1,113/month FMR, rent would take 18% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Evansville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $121K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Evansville compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Evansville pays $121K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.53), the purchasing-power equivalent is $132K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Evansville, IN?
The median is $120,990 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $98,580, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $166,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $121K enough to live in Evansville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,480/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,113/month, which eats 14.9% 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 Evansville?
Evansville has a Regional Price Parity of 91.53 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical engineers salary is worth about $132,186 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.