Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $131,690 a year, or about $63.31 an hour. The range runs from $93K at the entry level to $170K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $124,919 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,922/month, or 24.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $132K actually covers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Chemical engineers pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $132K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,922/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $106K | $100K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $130K | $130K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $134K | $118K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $125K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $93K. Mid-career wages sit at $132K. Top earners bring in $170K or more, a $77K 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 annually. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Yes — at the median salary of $132K, rent takes 25.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $93K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,510/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $132K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $132K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $125K — below the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $131,690 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $92,870, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $169,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $132K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,477/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 25.7% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 $124,919 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.