Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA make a median of $134,210 a year, or about $64.52 an hour. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $203K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $118,174 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 32.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $134K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Chemical engineers pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $134K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $2,601/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $106K | $100K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $132K | $125K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $134K. Top earners bring in $203K or more, a $122K 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $134K, rent takes 33.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,862/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $134K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $134K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $134,210 a year, that works out to about $65 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,030, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $202,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $134K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,822/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 33.3% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $118,174 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.