Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $136,810 a year, or about $65.77 an hour. The range runs from $95K at the entry level to $178K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $159,359 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 14.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $137K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 Lake Charles
Chemical engineers pay in Lake Charles tracks closely to the national median, $137K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 14.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $135K | $148K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $137K | $148K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $138K | $140K |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $130K | $144K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $95K. Mid-career wages sit at $137K. Top earners bring in $178K or more, a $83K 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 Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $137K, rent takes 14.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $95K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,717/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $137K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Lake Charles pays $137K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $159K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $136,810 a year, that works out to about $66 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $95,280, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $177,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $137K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,253/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 14.7% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 $159,359 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.