Chemists Salary
Chemists in Madison, WI make a median of $78,730 a year, or about $37.85 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $80,923 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 22.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Pay for chemists in Madison runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $91K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 23.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Madison can be a reasonable trade-off for chemistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemists in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $79K | $81K |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $78K | $82K |
| Sheboygan | $82K | $88K |
| Kenosha | $85K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $57K 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 Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 23.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,121/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Madison?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $79K here vs. $91K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for chemists?
Madison pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do chemists make in Madison, WI?
The median is $78,730 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,020, and experienced chemists can clear $109,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,054/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 23.1% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $80,923 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.