Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN make a median of $110,960 a year, or about $53.35 an hour. The range runs from $75K at the entry level to $189K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $119,222 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,272/month, or 18.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $111K get you in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Louisville/Jefferson County’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). 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 Louisville/Jefferson County
Pay for chemical engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,272/month, 18.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Louisville/Jefferson County can be a reasonable trade-off for chemical engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical engineers in metros near Louisville/Jefferson County, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $118K | $123K |
| Kansas City | $102K | $111K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $111K | $107K |
| Cincinnati | $108K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $75K. Mid-career wages sit at $111K. Top earners bring in $189K or more, a $114K 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 Louisville/Jefferson County numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Yes — at the median salary of $111K, rent takes 18.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Louisville/Jefferson County?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $75K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,508/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $111K here vs. $125K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisville/Jefferson County compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Louisville/Jefferson County pays $111K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $119K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?
The median is $110,960 a year, that works out to about $53 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,130, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $189,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $111K enough to live in Louisville/Jefferson County?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,834/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 18.6% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Louisville/Jefferson County has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (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 $119,222 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.