Chemists Salary
Chemists in Delaware make a median of $129,860 a year, or about $62.43 an hour. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $170K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $133,176 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,448/month, or 18.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $130K actually covers in Delaware, month by month
About chemists
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What this looks like in Delaware
Delaware sits well above the national pay line for chemists, local pay runs about 42% higher than the U.S. median of $91K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,448/month, 18.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Delaware offers a genuinely strong financial position for chemists at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $130K. Top earners bring in $170K or more, a $90K spread from bottom to top.
Chemists salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $79K | -39% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Delaware numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
Yes — at the median salary of $130K, rent takes 18.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,079/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemist a high-paying job in Delaware?
Local pay is 42% above the national median — $130K here vs. $91K nationally.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for chemists?
Delaware pays $130K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s +42%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $133K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemists make in Delaware?
The median is $129,860 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $80,500, and experienced chemists can clear $170,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $130K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,683/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 18.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chemists salary go in Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (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 $133,176 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.