Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in New Orleans-Metairie, LA make a median of $136,870 a year, or about $65.8 an hour. The range runs from $91K at the entry level to $179K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $147,808 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,331/month, or 16% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $137K get you in New Orleans-Metairie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Chemical engineers pay in New Orleans-Metairie 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 $1,331/month, 16.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $135K | $148K |
| Lake Charles | $137K | $159K |
| 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, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $91K. Mid-career wages sit at $137K. Top earners bring in $179K or more, a $88K 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 New Orleans-Metairie numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Orleans-Metairie?
Yes — at the median salary of $137K, rent takes 16.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,331/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $91K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,437/month. At HUD’s $1,331/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in New Orleans-Metairie?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $137K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $137K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $148K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $136,870 a year, that works out to about $66 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $90,620, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $178,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $137K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,256/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,331/month, which eats 16.1% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (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 $147,808 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.