Salary guide, May 2025
MS&T Engineer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Chemical Engineers in the United States was $125,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $97,820 and $157,190.
Also searched as: Manufacturing Science & Technology Engineer, Process Engineer (GMP). These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2041 Chemical Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $79,420 | $97,820 | $125,040 | $157,190 | $182,880 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38.19 | $47.03 | $60.12 | $75.57 | $87.92 |
BLS estimated 21,070 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2041 Chemical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $111,980 | $95,980 to $115,600 | 50 | 0.13 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $110,000 | $101,040 to $130,840 | 30 | 0.16 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $111,210 | $94,460 to $146,210 | 90 | 0.85 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $126,830 | $95,480 to $149,210 | 510 | 0.39 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $126,830 | $95,480 to $149,210 | 510 | 0.39 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $130,520 | $105,060 to $168,960 | 130 | 0.24 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $110,760 | $94,170 to $139,520 | 370 | 0.6 |
Rank every metro for MS&T Engineer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$147,960
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$136,810
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$136,380
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$127,770
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$112,300
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$111,050
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$102,890
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$102,730
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$102,170
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$100,200
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$100,190
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$91,860
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$89,070
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 10,860 | $99,130 | $122,740 | $151,520 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 6,060 | $97,730 | $112,300 | $134,740 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 4,550 | $98,090 | $115,520 | $138,620 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 1,350 | $131,230 | $147,960 | $168,170 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,150 | $96,400 | $106,140 | $122,040 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 1,140 | $134,210 | $162,500 | $168,170 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,020 | $122,840 | $136,810 | $173,580 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,020 | $122,840 | $136,810 | $173,580 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 790 | $102,320 | $127,770 | $161,350 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 610 | $100,620 | $136,380 | $136,700 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 500 | $102,320 | $128,530 | $159,510 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 360 | $96,770 | $107,960 | $130,380 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 250 | $103,660 | $126,610 | $152,260 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 200 | $79,850 | $100,200 | $127,330 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 190 | $74,970 | $102,170 | $129,320 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 160 | $80,940 | $100,200 | $130,010 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 150 | $78,510 | $96,270 | $165,210 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 130 | $127,890 | $133,740 | $133,740 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 120 | $89,450 | $111,050 | $143,040 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 120 | $79,800 | $100,190 | $134,230 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 120 | $79,800 | $100,190 | $134,230 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 110 | $78,850 | $91,860 | $103,630 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 110 | $84,750 | $102,730 | $143,760 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 100 | $89,450 | $114,470 | $159,850 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 100 | $95,010 | $110,790 | $185,500 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 80 | $80,100 | $89,070 | $102,890 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 80 | $109,190 | $110,490 | $121,750 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 70 | $81,680 | $107,160 | $143,800 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 60 | $81,810 | $89,070 | $106,620 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 60 | $72,940 | $82,200 | $102,590 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 50 | $83,310 | $92,050 | $103,410 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 40 | $72,490 | $96,970 | $113,690 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 40 | $79,020 | $102,890 | $109,980 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 40 | $89,530 | $101,780 | $112,510 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 30 | $81,620 | $95,630 | $107,650 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 30 | $67,420 | $103,030 | $107,530 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For MS&T Engineer, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $96,040 | $121,860 | $152,290 |
| May 2025 | $97,820 | $125,040 | $157,190 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about equipment and facility knowledge?
MS&T engineers need to understand the equipment that will make the product: bioreactors, chromatography skids, blenders, tablet presses, isolators or filling lines. We ask how they assessed fit between a process and the receiving site's equipment, and what they did when it did not fit. Engineers who can walk a suite and spot a mismatch are valuable.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a MS&T Engineer?
The median annual wage for Chemical Engineers in the United States was $125,040 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $97,820 and $157,190. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $79,420. 90% earned less than $182,880.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a MS&T Engineer at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 21,070 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
MS&T Engineers are core to pharmaceutical manufacturing, managing tech transfer and process validation. BLS classifies this role under Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041). For MS&T Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $125,040; the May 2024 median is $121,860. Their arithmetic difference is $3,180.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle band width is $59,370, ranging from a P25 of $97,820 to a P75 of $157,190. This variance captures the difference between entry-level tech transfer roles and senior process validation leads who manage complex cGMP environments.
National industry rows for this broad engineering category confirm the value of the pharmaceutical sector's engineering needs. Specialized Machinery Manufacturing reports a median of $162,500, while Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing lists $136,810. These figures, while broad, demonstrate the premium placed on chemical engineering skills in high-value manufacturing. For MS&T Engineer in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Regional hubs show varied market conditions for this occupation. For MS&T Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $125,040; the May 2024 median is $121,860. Their arithmetic difference is $3,180. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. These shifts illustrate the dynamic nature of chemical engineering demand in major metro areas. The location quotient in Houston is 3.4, indicating high industry concentration, while Boston has a location quotient of 2.48. Hiring managers must note that location quotient measures employment density rather than candidate supply or local market pay. When building a hiring profile, focus on the candidate's experience with specific dosage forms or cGMP validation requirements, using these broader metro medians only as a baseline starting point for negotiations.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For MS&T Engineer in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $97,820 to $157,190 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
How does cGMP experience impact the candidate's place in the salary range?
For MS&T Engineer in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $97,820 to $157,190 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Is the median change of $3180 typical for chemical engineers?
For MS&T Engineer in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $125,040; the May 2024 median is $121,860. Their arithmetic difference is $3,180. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Are these salary figures specific to MS&T engineers?
No, the figures are for the broader Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041) category. Specific MS&T wage data is not separately published by the BLS.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4