Chemists Salary
Chemists in Asheville, NC make a median of $66,910 a year, or about $32.17 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $130K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $69,330 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,567/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). 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 chemists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Asheville
Pay for chemists in Asheville runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $91K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,567/month, which is 35.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chemistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemists in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $82K | $84K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $84K | $86K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $89K | $91K |
| Wilmington | $78K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $130K or more, a $86K spread from bottom to top.
Chemists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $150K | +64% | 280 |
| Maryland | $141K | +54% | 2,480 |
| Delaware | $130K | +42% | 1,200 |
| New Mexico | $127K | +39% | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $125K | +37% | 3,430 |
| Alaska | $106K | +16% | 60 |
| Oregon | $105K | +15% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $104K | +14% | 740 |
| Wyoming | $102K | +12% | 80 |
| Colorado | $102K | +12% | 1,790 |
| Rhode Island | $102K | +11% | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +10% | 300 |
| Texas | $100K | +9% | 5,130 |
| Minnesota | $99K | +9% | 1,680 |
| Connecticut | $98K | +8% | 1,170 |
| California | $98K | +7% | 9,820 |
| Alabama | $98K | +7% | 700 |
| Michigan | $97K | +7% | 3,490 |
| Washington | $97K | +7% | 2,280 |
| North Dakota | $97K | +7% | 160 |
| Virginia | $97K | +6% | 1,640 |
| Georgia | $93K | +2% | 1,260 |
| New York | $91K | -1% | 4,230 |
| Tennessee | $88K | -4% | 960 |
| Vermont | $86K | -6% | 80 |
| Iowa | $86K | -6% | 570 |
| West Virginia | $86K | -6% | 180 |
| Ohio | $85K | -7% | 4,010 |
| Illinois | $85K | -7% | 3,040 |
| New Jersey | $84K | -7% | 5,280 |
| Hawaii | $84K | -8% | 140 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -8% | 530 |
| Kansas | $83K | -9% | 690 |
| Missouri | $83K | -9% | 1,640 |
| Florida | $83K | -9% | 1,490 |
| North Carolina | $83K | -9% | 4,530 |
| Arizona | $82K | -10% | 870 |
| Nevada | $81K | -11% | 280 |
| Utah | $81K | -11% | 910 |
| Mississippi | $80K | -12% | 200 |
| South Carolina | $80K | -13% | 770 |
| Indiana | $79K | -14% | 2,480 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -14% | 1,920 |
| Idaho | $78K | -15% | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -16% | 6,800 |
| Arkansas | $76K | -17% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $75K | -18% | 630 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -18% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $67K | -26% | 170 |
| Maine | $64K | -29% | 140 |
| Montana | $62K | -32% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track chemists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 35.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,603/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemist a high-paying job in Asheville?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $67K here vs. $91K nationally.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for chemists?
Asheville pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do chemists make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $66,910 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,390, and experienced chemists can clear $129,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,371/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 35.8% 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 chemists salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (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 chemists salary is worth about $69,330 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemists 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.