Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL make a median of $111,980 a year, or about $53.84 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $158K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $98,090 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,436/month, about 32.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $112K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Chemical engineers pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach tracks closely to the national median, $112K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $2,436/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.5% 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 114.16), 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $110K | $109K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $104K | $103K |
| Mobile | $137K | $156K |
| Decatur | $109K | $125K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $112K. Top earners bring in $158K or more, a $92K 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $112K, rent takes 33.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,932/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $112K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $112K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $111,980 a year, that works out to about $54 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,540, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $157,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $112K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,264/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 33.5% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (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 $98,090 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.