Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Iowa make a median of $117,590 a year, or about $56.54 an hour. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $134K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $132,332 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 14.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Iowa. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $118K get you in Iowa?
About chemical engineers
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What this looks like in Iowa
Chemical engineers pay in Iowa tracks closely to the national median, $118K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 15.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $118K. Top earners bring in $134K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track chemical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $118K, rent takes 15.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,717/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Iowa?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $118K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Iowa pays $118K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $132K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Iowa?
The median is $117,590 a year, that works out to about $57 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,610, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $134,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $118K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,069/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 15.1% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 $132,332 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.