Chemist 1 pay range
State of Washington · class code 515P
- Class code
- 515P
- Salary range
- 50
- Pay unit
- Year
- State
- Washington
- The State of Washington published pay range for Chemist 1 is $55,596 to $74,748 per year.
- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) keys this classification as class code 515P.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Step progression
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) assigns this class to salary range 50 in the General Service Salary Schedule. The range pays 13 steps; a step is normally earned on a periodic increment date, not negotiated.
| Basis | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $55,596 | $56,952 | $58,392 | $59,760 | $61,332 | $62,880 | $64,512 | $66,072 | $67,704 | $69,348 | $71,136 | $72,900 | $74,748 |
| Monthly | $4,633 | $4,746 | $4,866 | $4,980 | $5,111 | $5,240 | $5,376 | $5,506 | $5,642 | $5,779 | $5,928 | $6,075 | $6,229 |
| Hourly | $26.63 | $27.28 | $27.97 | $28.62 | $29.37 | $30.11 | $30.90 | $31.64 | $32.43 | $33.21 | $34.07 | $34.91 | $35.80 |
Steps as published. The monthly and hourly rows are the state's own, not conversions of the annual row.
Class specification
The OFM classified job specification for this class is published by Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications.
What the state says the job is
In a chemical or biochemical laboratory, performs repetitive chemical testing and analysis of organic, inorganic, radiochemistry, or biochemical substances using a variety of instruments, standardizes solutions and prepares reagents to make determinations.
Examples of the work
Performs a variety of repetitive laboratory procedures, tests, and analyses of such substances as animal tissue and fluid, food products, water and air samples, livestock feeds, fertilizers, insecticides, or other substances to ascertain the presence or the quantity of known or suspected ingredients; Participates in unusual chemical analyses of determinative nature, performing standardized portions of such procedures, and assisting in the nonroutine functions; Obtains field samples for analysis; precipitates, filters, and separates desired components; adjusts and reads laboratory instruments such as titrimeter, spectrophotometer, colorimeter, polariscope, and pH meter; records results and ma ...
Minimum qualifications
A Bachelor's degree with a major in chemistry or a Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college-level chemistry. OR Equivalent education/experience.
Quoted from the OFM classified job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) publishes this figure in Classified Job Listing joined to the OFM salary schedules effective July 1, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The dollar figures come from the salary schedule the listing assigns this range to.
Nearby classes in Washington
Chemist 1 in other states
| State | Minimum | Maximum | Per year at full time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | $44,193 | $88,386 | $44,193 to $88,386 |
| Indiana | $59,800 | $92,690 | $59,800 to $92,690 |
| Minnesota | $54,539 | $79,156 | $54,539 to $79,156 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,008 | $80,646 | $53,008 to $80,646 |
Each state publishes its own range for a classification with this exact title. Duties, grade structures and bargaining units differ between states, so read each class page before comparing.