Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · CBSA 37980
Chemical Engineer Salary in Philadelphia
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for chemical engineers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Pennsylvania and the national benchmark.
Chemical Engineers in Philadelphia earn a median of $120,300 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $96,670–$147,930; the top 10% earn $178,270. That is 1% below the national median and 12% above the Pennsylvania median. BLS reports 850 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$120,300
-1% vs national
Top 10% earn
$178,270
90th percentile
Employed in metro
850
Reliability Good (6.8% RSE)
Chemical Engineer pay — Philadelphia vs Pennsylvania vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $79,070 | +1% |
| 25th percentile | $96,670 | +1% |
| Median50th percentile | $120,300 | -1% |
| 75th percentile | $147,930 | -3% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $178,270 | -2% |
| Meanaverage | $124,580 | -3% |
How concentrated chemical engineers are in Philadelphia
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
2.25
Jobs per 1,000
0.30
Metro rank (pay)
#34 of 81
All engineering roles
$118,413
At a location quotient of 2.25, Philadelphia is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 2.3× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →