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Chemical Engineers: H-1B salaries
Standard Occupational Classification 17-2041. 3,809 labor condition applications; median offered base salary $112,889, middle half $89,939–$136,261.
Applications (LCAs)3,809
Median offered salary$112,889
Middle half of salaries$89,939–$136,261
10th–90th percentile$71,485–$160,000
By wage level
| Wage level | LCAs | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (entry) | 874 | $82,066 |
| Level II (qualified) | 984 | $109,036 |
| Level III (experienced) | 791 | $125,000 |
| Level IV (fully competent) | 647 | $150,000 |
The Department of Labor sets four prevailing wage levels for each occupation and area, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). The employer picks the level that matches the job's requirements.
Employers
Cities
- Houston, TX$138,403
- Cambridge, MA$101,750
- Santa Clara, CA$151,070
- Indianapolis, IN$123,617
- Fremont, CA$133,994
- Boise, ID$118,733
- Boston, MA$129,553
- Richland, WA$93,940
- San Jose, CA$145,000
- Thousand Oaks, CA$130,000
- Berkeley, CA$82,408
- Austin, TX$125,000
- Norwood, MA$129,106
- Pittsburgh, PA$103,500
- Freeport, TX$112,889
- Des Plaines, IL$127,000
- San Diego, CA$109,491
- Midland, MI$119,142
- Madison, WI$72,511
- Chicago, IL$78,926
- Oak Ridge, TN$87,956
- Palo Alto, CA$145,000
- Columbus, IN$84,000
- St. Louis, MO$88,742
- New York, NY$84,443
- Los Angeles, CA$84,000
- Atlanta, GA$68,912
- Golden, CO$83,554
- Allentown, PA$118,789
- Lake Jackson, TX$112,889
- Sunnyvale, CA$151,070
- Raleigh, NC$60,500
- Spring, TX$151,386
- Lexington, MA$125,000
- Bedford, MA$110,000
Job titles
- Process Engineer243
- Chemical Engineer140
- Senior Process Engineer85
- Postdoctoral Research Associate83
- Senior Research Specialist83
- Research Scientist50
- Chemical Process Engineer45
- Postdoctoral Associate43
- Postdoctoral Fellow38
- Senior Engineer37
- Process Development Engineer36
- Project Engineer34
- Postdoctoral Scholar31
- Engineer27
- Associate Research Scientist23
- Principal Process Engineer22
- Senior Chemical Engineer22
- Research Engineer21
- Research Associate21
- Post Doctorate Research Associate (Chemical Engineer)20
- Postdoctoral Research Scholar20
- R&D Engineer17
- Battery Engineer16
- Post Doctoral Research Associate15
- Postdoctoral Researcher15
- Postdoctoral Scholar Employee15
- Senior Scientist15
- Sr. Engineer13
- Assistant Research Professor13
- Principal Engineer13
By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | LCAs | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 905 | $108,140 |
| FY2024 | 965 | $111,114 |
| FY2025 | 1,132 | $113,050 |
| FY2026 | 807 | $123,594 |
Salaries are the lower end of the wage offered on each application, converted to a yearly amount; statistics use certified full-time applications only. An LCA is not a visa approval and one LCA can cover several positions. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, fiscal years 2023–2026 (latest decision Jun 30, 2026).