Chemical Engineer.
Omaha.
$111,000
median salary, 9% below the national average
$87,000 to $138,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Chemical Engineer in Omaha earns a median of $111,000 in 2026. That is 9% below the national average. The range runs from $87,000 to $138,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Industry sector is the top differentiator, with petroleum, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical chemical engineers earning 20 to 35% more than those in food processing or water treatment. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Chemical Engineer in Omaha, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. BLS does not publish this occupation for this metro area, so the national published benchmark is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $125,040 for Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041) across the United States, based on 21,070 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$79,420
25th percentile
$97,820
Median
$125,040
75th percentile
$157,190
90th percentile
$182,880
Workers surveyed
21,070
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$121,860
May 2025 release
$125,040
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041) rather than Chemical Engineer specifically. The national range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2041Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $100,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$72,000
to $89,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$94,000
to $117,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$122,000
to $144,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$139,000
to $172,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$111,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $141,000
How Omaha compares.
Omaha, NE
$111,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$122,000
Omaha is $11,000 below
Chemical Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Omaha.
What you should know.
Here is what the Chemical Engineer market actually looks like in Omaha. Omaha punches above its weight with Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, and a strong financial services cluster. The city has a growing tech scene and is home to several Fortune 500 companies. Very affordable living costs combined with corporate headquarters salaries create exceptional purchasing power. Industry sector is the top differentiator, with petroleum, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical chemical engineers earning 20 to 35% more than those in food processing or water treatment. Process scale-up experience, Six Sigma certification, and expertise with hazardous materials handling drive additional premiums.
Entry-level chemical engineers start at $76,000 to $88,000. Senior process engineers earn $100,000 to $128,000 after five to eight years. Engineering directors and plant managers reach $140,000 to $185,000 in high-demand industries. In Omaha, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Oil and gas employers add 10 to 20% bonuses tied to production targets. Semiconductor fabs offer equity grants worth $10,000 to $40,000 annually. Shift differentials of 5 to 15% apply for engineers managing 24/7 production facilities. And on the tax side: nebraska's top income tax rate is 5.84%. Omaha has no city income tax. The moderate rate is offset by some of the most affordable housing costs among major metros. When someone quotes you $111,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Fortune 500 headquarters pay scales. Omaha's corporate density means employers benchmark against national compensation data, not just regional rates. The range for Chemical Engineers in Omaha runs from $87,000 to $138,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An LLM Engineer in Omaha earns $112,000 (1% more)
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Common questions.
Chemical Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Omaha.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Chemical Engineer Salary in Omaha, NE." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/chemical-engineer/omaha
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