How much do Chemical Engineers make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

Percentile spread

For Chemical Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $84,680 and the 90th percentile is $179,230. The difference is $94,550, which is 75.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $105,430 to the 75th at $151,540, covers $46,110.

The mean annual wage is $129,180, which sits above the median of $125,200. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median is 0.1% higher than the national median of $125,040 for Chemical Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $112,658, which is 9.9% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 2.4% lower than the Washington median of $128,290.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is 111.133, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $125,200 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Chemical Engineers at $112,658 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

2 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Chemical Engineers. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ranks 3rd of 3 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is 134 miles away, with a median of $131,690 and employment of 70. That median is 5.2% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $124,918, against $112,658 here.
• Kennewick-Richland, WA is 144 miles away, with a median of $130,030 and employment of 320. That median is 3.9% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $129,927, against $112,658 here.

Employment share

Chemical Engineers accounts for 0.01% of wage-and-salary employment in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (230 of 2,086,210). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (21,070 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.81 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.