Chemical Engineers
SOC code 17-2041 · 3,384 certified H-1B positions, FY2023–FY2026.
3,384
certified positions
$112,889
Median pay
$90,000
25th pct
$135,965
75th pct
$159,062
90th pct
$72,757
10th pct
Estimates from public U.S. Department of Labor records — wages are
employer-attested offered wages, not verified salaries paid; counts are filings, not
people. Not legal, financial, or career advice. See our
disclaimer & terms.
Data: DOL filings FY2023–FY2026 (through June 2026) · Page updated October 2026
$103,282
Median prevailing wage
$72,757$112,889 median$159,062
Quarterly median pay 2022-Q4 → 2026-Q2 · ▲ 12.8%
Wage-level mix DOL prevailing-wage levels on these filings
Level I · Entry — 797 (26%), med $83,000Level II · Qualified — 932 (30%), med $109,010Level III · Experienced — 744 (24%), med $125,000Level IV · Fully competent — 592 (19%), med $150,000
Top employers hiring
| Employer | Positions | Median |
|---|---|---|
| THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY | 81 | $115,024 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | 80 | $140,390 |
| Amgen Inc. | 77 | $122,500 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | 56 | $139,525 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 56 | $114,519 |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 45 | $97,801 |
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 37 | $137,363 |
| Tesla, Inc. | 35 | $145,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 34 | $66,950 |
| L&T Technology Services Limited | 32 | $91,000 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | 32 | $127,684 |
| UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY) | 26 | $87,830 |
| EVONIK CORPORATION | 25 | $115,000 |
| UOP LLC | 25 | $130,254 |
| ModernaTX, Inc. | 25 | $129,106 |
Top states
| State | Positions |
|---|---|
| California | 594 |
| Texas | 489 |
| Massachusetts | 326 |
| Illinois | 167 |
| New Jersey | 151 |
| Pennsylvania | 141 |
| New York | 129 |
| Indiana | 124 |
| Michigan | 101 |
| North Carolina | 71 |
| Washington | 69 |
| Ohio | 69 |
| Idaho | 68 |
| Georgia | 67 |
| Tennessee | 51 |