Chemists Salary
Chemists in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA make a median of $81,680 a year, or about $39.27 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $114K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.44), that's roughly $79,734 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,720/month, about 31.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $82K get you in Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Mount Vernon-Anacortes’s Regional Price Parity (102.44). 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes
Chemists pay in Mount Vernon-Anacortes tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $91K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,720/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemists in metros near Mount Vernon-Anacortes, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $88K | $79K |
| Bellingham | $65K | $62K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $77K | $77K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $108K | $102K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $114K or more, a $52K 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
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Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 31.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,720/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,708/month. At HUD’s $1,720/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $91K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Mount Vernon-Anacortes compare to the national average for chemists?
Mount Vernon-Anacortes pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — below the national median.
How much do chemists make in Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA?
The median is $81,680 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,800, and experienced chemists can clear $114,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,487/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,720/month, which eats 31.3% 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes?
Mount Vernon-Anacortes has a Regional Price Parity of 102.44 (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 chemists salary is worth about $79,734 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.