2024 wage data not published for chemical engineers in California
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage estimates when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish a figure without revealing individual firm pay. The privacy redaction happens upstream, before the data reaches us.
BLS still reports an estimated 1,260 workers in this role in California in 2024.
Use national figures and adjacent states below as a reference, or check BLS confidentiality rules for context.
Salary distribution
Where California chemical engineers fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Chemical Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 196 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $129,992. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 16 | $90,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 42 | $110,391 |
| Level III — experienced | 50 | $139,223 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 44 | $165,060 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Chemical Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | Principal Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering | 17 | $162,344 |
| Tesla, Inc. | Sr. Materials Engineer | 11 | $145,000 |
| Amgen Inc. | Associate Director Engineering | 7 | $146,950 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Senior Research Associate | 7 | $87,732 |
| Applied Materials, Inc | Process Engineer | 7 | $130,496 |
| Apple Inc. | Systems Design Engineering | 6 | $154,300 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Postdoctoral Research Affiliate | 5 | $76,000 |
| University of California, Berkeley | Postdoctoral Scholar Employee | 5 | $74,425 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Postdoctoral Scholar | 4 | $74,474 |
| Lam Research Corporation | Process Engineer | 4 | $143,265 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Sr. Manufacturing Planner/Scheduler at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.$151,070SunnyvaleDecided Dec 29, 2025I-202-25353-497129
- Process Engineer, Chip Chemistry at Vibrant America LLC$123,490SANTA CLARADecided Dec 15, 2025I-200-25342-466021
- Process Development Engineer 9985795 at Texas Instruments Incorporated$219,500Santa ClaraDecided Dec 10, 2025I-200-25337-455239
- Process Engineer at The Dennis Group Inc.$125,486CarlsbadDecided Dec 9, 2025I-200-25336-451911
- Research Associate at Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station$51,792FremontDecided Dec 9, 2025I-200-25336-451651
- Manager - BCG Vantage at Boston Consulting Group, Inc.$148,400Los AngelesDecided Dec 2, 2025I-200-25328-432650
- Postdoctoral Research Affiliate at The Leland Stanford, Jr University$77,093StanfordDecided Dec 2, 2025I-200-25328-434749
- Principal Plant Engineer PCS FPM at Bayer HealthCare LLC$160,000BerkeleyDecided Nov 28, 2025I-200-25324-425067
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Chemical Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Chemical Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 96 certified offers. The most common variant is Principal Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering at a median of $151,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Engineer, Hardware Development Engineering | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 31 | $151,000 |
| Process Engineer | Applied Materials, Inc | 25 | $130,496 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar Employee | University of California, Berkeley | 7 | $74,425 |
| Chemical Engineer | Trevi Systems, Inc. | 7 | $101,899 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | University of California, Los Angeles | 6 | $71,771 |
| Sr. Materials Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 4 | $157,500 |
| Sr. Scientist, Chemical Development | 10x Genomics, Inc. | 4 | $127,327 |
| Sr. Manufacturing Planner/Scheduler | Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | 3 | $151,070 |
| Cell Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 3 | $165,000 |
| Sr. Chemical Process Engineer | Tesla, Inc. | 3 | $128,280 |
| Process Development Senior Scientist | Amgen Inc. | 3 | $138,445 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Chemical Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 194 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $146,195.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Western Digital Technologies, Inc. | 106 | $146,195 |
| Professional services | Amgen Inc. | 56 | $122,674 |
| Education | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 20 | $75,500 |
| Energy and utilities | Searles Valley Minerals, Inc. | 7 | $101,899 |
| Technology and software | Mitra Future Technologies, Inc. | 3 | $112,000 |
| Healthcare | Vibrant America LLC | 1 | $123,490 |
| Retail and wholesale | Sumecht NA, Inc. | 1 | $84,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 5.0 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.8 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.8 / 5
Chemistry
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Physics
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Production and Processing
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Science
Basic skill
- 4.1 / 5
Complex Problem Solving
Technical
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Monitor and analyze data from processes and experiments.
- 02
Develop safety procedures to be employed by workers operating equipment or working in close proximity to ongoing chemical reactions.
- 03
Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes.
- 04
Troubleshoot problems with chemical manufacturing processes.
- 05
Evaluate chemical equipment and processes to identify ways to optimize performance or to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
- 06
Conduct research to develop new and improved chemical manufacturing processes.
- 07
Perform laboratory studies of steps in manufacture of new products and test proposed processes in small-scale operation, such as a pilot plant.
- 08
Prepare estimate of production costs and production progress reports for management.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+2.3%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for chemical engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$135,610
- Los Angeles$122,950
- Sacramento—
- San Diego—
- San Francisco—
- Riverside—
Compare Chemical Engineers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chemical Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 2.3% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Chemical Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.