Chemists Salary
Chemists in Billings, MT make a median of $59,780 a year, or about $28.74 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.53), which stretches that salary to about $63,915 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,417/month, about 36.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Billings?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Billings’s Regional Price Parity (93.53). 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
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What this looks like in Billings
Pay for chemists in Billings runs about 34% below the U.S. median of $91K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,417/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.53 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Billings, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | $68K | $66K |
| Idaho Falls | $86K | $91K |
| Boise City | $79K | $80K |
| Fargo | $72K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Billings, MT
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $59K 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 Billings numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Billings?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,417/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Billings?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,876/month. At HUD’s $1,417/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Billings?
Local pay runs 34% below the national median — $60K here vs. $91K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Billings compare to the national average for chemists?
Billings pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s -34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.53), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do chemists make in Billings, MT?
The median is $59,780 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,930, and experienced chemists can clear $106,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Billings?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,971/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,417/month, which eats 35.7% 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 Billings?
Billings has a Regional Price Parity of 93.53 (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 $63,915 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.