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Chemist - Federal Salaries of 2022
Pay Rates for "Chemist"
How much does a Chemist in the federal government get paid? $129,682.15* *Based on the 2022 average.Chemist was the 71st most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2022, with 4,006 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration hired the most employees titled Chemistry, with an average salary of $131,703.
Government Chemistry jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Chemistry job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.
Agencies that have hired a Chemist
Chemist Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Chemist is $129,682.15. The highest paid Chemist made $290,771 in 2022.
Common Chemist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Chemistry Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 3,044 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 309 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 270 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 163 |
| RF - Employees Appointed And Compensated As Special Consultants Under 42 U.s.c. 209(f). Includes Non-citizens Whose | 105 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 28 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 14 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 12 |
| RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service | 11 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 11 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 10 |
| GM - Employees Covered By The Performance Management And Recognition System (pmrs) Termination Provisions | 8 |
| EE - Expert (other) | 6 |
| SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives | 3 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 3 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 2 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 2 |
| PG - Printing Office Grades | 2 |
| EK - The National Defense Authorization Act Of 1995 Department Of Energy Excepted Service | 1 |
| ET - Program Director Of The Advanced Research Projects Agency-engery | 1 |
| ER - Scientific, Engineering & Professonal Pers Of The Adv Research Proj Agcy-en | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 1300 PHYSICAL SCIENCES GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Chemistry jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Statistics | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| History | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Physical Therapist | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Accounting | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
Average Chemistry Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022
In 2004, the average pay for a Chemist was $85,022. Since then, the average pay has increased to $129,682 in 2022.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 1320.