How much do Chemists make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Chemists, the published 10th percentile is $75,990 and the 90th percentile is $184,590. The difference is $108,600, which is 94.5% 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 $91,010 to the 75th at $150,630, covers $59,620.

The mean annual wage is $121,350, which sits above the median of $114,890. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median is 25.9% higher than the national median of $91,240 for Chemists. In 2024 national prices the local median is $104,045, which is 14% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 17.4% higher than the California median of $97,860.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 110.423, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $114,890 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Chemists at $104,045 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

14 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Chemists. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks 2nd of 15 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).).

• Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is 36 miles away, with a median of $95,840 and employment of 70. That median is 16.6% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $87,210, against $104,045 here.
• Salinas, CA is 46 miles away, with a median of $95,080 and employment of 30. That median is 17.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $87,196, against $104,045 here.
• Modesto, CA is 50 miles away, with a median of $83,120 and employment of 90. That median is 27.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $79,840, against $104,045 here.

Employment share

Chemists accounts for 0.05% of wage-and-salary employment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (580 of 1,134,970). Nationally the occupation is 0.05% of employment (82,770 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.96 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.