Chemists pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria

In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC), the median pay for chemists is $69.56 an hour ($144,680 a year). About 2,490 people work in this job there.

$69.56Median hourly pay
$111,530–$176,340Middle half of workers, yearly
2,490People in this job in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC)

That is 59% higher than the U.S. median ($91,240). It is 3% lower than the District of Columbia median ($149,860).

Pay range for chemists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$39.80$82,780
25% of workers$53.62$111,530
Half of workers (median)$69.56$144,680
75% of workers$84.78$176,340
90% of workers$93.84$195,190

Chemists pay in District of Columbia metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (this page)$144,6802,490

District of Columbia unemployment rate: 5.7% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for chemists

  • Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
  • Job outlook: +6.4% over ten years, faster than average · about 5,900 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC)

JobMedian yearly pay
Natural Sciences Managers$169,060
Industrial Engineers$117,600
Microbiologists$114,800
Physical Scientists, All Other$170,980
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$108,160
Physicists$171,580

Other job titles for this job

Pharmaceutical ScientistQC ScientistChemistChemistry ScientistFormulation ScientistAstrochemistAgricultural ChemistAir Quality ChemistAnalytical ChemistAnalytical ScientistAssay Development ScientistBench Chemist

Open chemists jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring chemists? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job freeFind jobsCheck pay for any job
Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/chemists/district-of-columbia/washington-arlington-alexandria.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.