Salary comparison
Chemical Engineer vs Environmental Engineer salary
Chemical Engineers out-earn environmental engineers by about $17,690 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Chemical Engineers earn more — a median of $121,860 versus $104,170 for environmental engineers, a gap of about $17,690 (17%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Chemical Engineer
Verified$121,860
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $78,520
- Top 10%
- $182,150
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Environmental Engineer
Verified$104,170
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $64,950
- Top 10%
- $161,910
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Chemical Engineer vs Environmental Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileChemical Engineer | $78,520 |
| MedianChemical Engineer | $121,860 |
| 90th percentileChemical Engineer | $182,150 |
| 10th percentileEnvironmental Engineer | $64,950 |
| MedianEnvironmental Engineer | $104,170 |
| 90th percentileEnvironmental Engineer | $161,910 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Chemical Engineer
Environmental Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Chemical Engineer
- Oklahoma$160,990
- New Mexico$147,290
- West Virginia$139,730
- Texas$135,160
- Virginia$132,550
Environmental Engineer
- Oregon$130,370
- California$127,660
- District of Columbia$125,980
- Louisiana$123,210
- Massachusetts$116,980
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, chemical engineers earn about 17% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick chemical engineer if…
Chemical engineers apply chemistry, physics, and biology to design processes that produce chemicals, fuels, drugs, and food.
- ▹Industry (oil & gas and pharma pay above commodities)
- ▹Process vs. R&D vs. plant operations
- ▹Years of experience
Pick environmental engineer if…
Environmental engineers use engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to solve problems in waste management, water quality, and pollution control.
- ▹Public sector vs. private consulting
- ▹PE license
- ▹Specialty (water, air, remediation, sustainability)
Chemical Engineer vs Environmental Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, chemical engineers or environmental engineers?
What is the salary range for chemical engineers vs environmental engineers?
Should I become a chemical engineer or a environmental engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2041 (Chemical Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →