Chemists pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,110 a year or less, while the top 10% make $194,730 or more. The middle half of chemists in San Francisco earn between $96,100 and $160,810.
- $76K10th
- $96K25th
- $128KMedian
- $161K75th
- $195K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $130,870 | $10,906 | $62.92 |
| Median | $127,790 | $10,649 | $61.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $96,100 | $8,008 | $46.20 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $160,810 | $13,401 | $77.31 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chemists salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $130,870, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $92,637 a year, or $7,720 a month and $3,563 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for chemists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $130,870 buys what about $113,197 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 8.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Chemists salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 19 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Francisco$130,870
- San Jose$121,350
- Bakersfield$105,620
- Salinas$104,930
- San Diego$101,250
- Napa$100,740
- Santa Rosa$100,440
- Los Angeles$99,150
- Santa Cruz$97,460
- Santa Maria$95,140
Highest-paying cities for chemists
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($144,550).
- Washington, DC$144,550
- Bay City, MI$139,910
- Lexington Park, MD$132,480
- San Francisco, CA$130,870
- Boston, MA$130,520
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Chemists salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do chemists make an hour in San Francisco?
$62.92 an hour on average, and $61.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chemists salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,110 a year and the 25th percentile is $96,100, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chemists take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $92,637 a year ($7,720 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $130,870. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do chemists earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 29% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($101,816).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2031; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.73, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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