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Seniority Profile · Illinois

Lead / Director Chemists salary in Illinois

Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.

Adrian Serafin, founder and editor of RateOrchardBy Adrian SerafinFounderUpdated May 4, 2026
BLS percentile range
P75 to P90 of the Illinois OES distribution for Chemists.
DOL OFLC offered median
$119,829
Across 15 certified filings at this wage level.
Real disclosed salaries

Lead / Director Chemists in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay

Public records from 15 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $119,829. 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.

LevelFilingsMedian offer
Level IV — fully competent15$119,829

Top employers filing for this role

Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director Chemists in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.

EmployerMost-filed titleFilingsMedian
AbbVie Inc.Senior Scientist II4$143,013
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLCPrincipal Scientist, Formulation3$110,490
Archer Daniels Midland CompanyResearch Chemist, NMR Spectroscopy3$100,000
Nexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.Analytical Scientist III2$126,245
Pfanstiehl, Inc.Senior Scientist - Process Development1$120,000
Baxter Healthcare CorporationResearch Scientist I1$120,000
University of IllinoisResearch Scientist1$85,987

Recent sample filings

A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.

  • Senior Scientist II at AbbVie Inc.
    $155,000
    North ChicagoWage Level IVDecided Sep 30, 2025I-200-25266-329868
  • Principal Scientist, Formulation at Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
    $119,829
    Melrose ParkWage Level IVDecided Sep 17, 2025I-200-25253-300179
  • Research Chemist, NMR Spectroscopy at Archer Daniels Midland Company
    $100,000
    DecaturWage Level IVDecided Jun 10, 2025I-200-25154-046076
  • Senior Scientist - Process Development at Pfanstiehl, Inc.
    $120,000
    WaukeganWage Level IVDecided Feb 13, 2025I-200-25037-672257
  • Principal Scientist, Analytical Development at Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
    $110,490
    Melrose ParkWage Level IVDecided Jan 17, 2025I-200-25010-611212
  • Senior Scientist, Analytical Development at Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
    $110,490
    Melrose ParkWage Level IVDecided Jan 16, 2025I-200-25008-604903
  • Research Scientist I at Baxter Healthcare Corporation
    $120,000
    Round LakeWage Level IVDecided Dec 31, 2024I-200-24355-563411
  • Analytical Scientist III at Nexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.
    $110,490
    LincolnshireWage Level IVDecided Dec 17, 2024I-200-24345-530918

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.