Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Madison, WI make a median of $97,190 a year, or about $46.73 an hour. The range runs from $75K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $99,897 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 19% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $97K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Pay for chemical engineers in Madison runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 19.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Madison 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 Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $111K | $107K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $104K | $104K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $123K | $117K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $115K | $120K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $75K. Mid-career wages sit at $97K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $56K 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 Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $97K, rent takes 19.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $75K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,478/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $97K here vs. $125K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Madison pays $97K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $97,190 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,640, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $130,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $97K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,055/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 19.3% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $99,897 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.