Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO make a median of $139,220 a year, or about $66.94 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $166K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.13), that's roughly $137,664 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,759/month, or 20.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $139K actually covers in Fort Collins-Loveland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Collins-Loveland’s Regional Price Parity (101.13). 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 Fort Collins-Loveland
Fort Collins-Loveland sits well above the national pay line for chemical engineers, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,759/month, 21.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 101.13) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Fort Collins-Loveland offers a genuinely strong financial position for chemical engineers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Fort Collins-Loveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $128K | $121K |
| Boulder | $126K | $120K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $139K. Top earners bring in $166K or more, a $110K 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 Fort Collins-Loveland 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Yes — at the median salary of $139K, rent takes 21.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,759/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Fort Collins-Loveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,690/month. At HUD’s $1,759/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $139K here vs. $125K nationally.
How does Fort Collins-Loveland compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Fort Collins-Loveland pays $139K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $138K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO?
The median is $139,220 a year, that works out to about $67 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,610, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $165,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $139K enough to live in Fort Collins-Loveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,315/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,759/month, which eats 21.2% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Fort Collins-Loveland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.13 (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 $137,664 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.