Entry-level Chemical Engineers salary in California
Roles that require limited judgement and close supervision. Typically less than two years of relevant experience or fresh graduates entering the field.
Entry-level Chemical Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 16 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $90,000. 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 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Entry-level Chemical Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illumina, Inc. | Engineer 1 - Process Development | 3 | $90,646 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Posdoctoral Research Affiliate | 3 | $76,000 |
| YJ BIOPRODUCTS, INC. | Process Engineer | 1 | $90,000 |
| SRI International | Research Engineer I | 1 | $92,477 |
| Trevi Systems, Inc. | Chemical Engineer | 1 | $89,794 |
| Lygos, Inc. | Engineer III, Process Development | 1 | $90,646 |
| Sumecht NA, Inc. | Chemical Engineer | 1 | $84,000 |
| Circularity Fuels, Inc. | Chemical Process Engineer | 1 | $100,000 |
| SUNNY OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY USA INC. | Chemical Engineer | 1 | $100,800 |
| Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation | Bioprocessing Associate | 1 | $56,160 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Process Engineer at YJ BIOPRODUCTS, INC.$90,000Rancho CordovaWage Level IDecided Aug 21, 2025I-200-25226-243894
- Research Engineer I at SRI International$92,477Palo AltoWage Level IDecided Jun 27, 2025I-200-25171-115718
- Engineer 1 - Process Development at Illumina, Inc.$90,646Foster CityWage Level IDecided Jun 16, 2025I-200-25160-071239
- Chemical Engineer at Trevi Systems, Inc.$89,794Rohnert ParkWage Level IDecided Jun 10, 2025I-200-25154-046637
- Engineer 1 - Process Development at Illumina, Inc.$90,646Foster CityWage Level IDecided May 30, 2025I-200-25142-009029
- Engineer 2 - Development at Illumina, Inc.$89,357San DiegoWage Level IDecided May 20, 2025I-200-25133-971281
- Engineer III, Process Development at Lygos, Inc.$90,646HaywardWage Level IDecided May 12, 2025I-200-25125-937136
- Chemical Engineer at Sumecht NA, Inc.$84,000Costa MesaWage Level IDecided May 6, 2025I-200-25119-914477
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.