Chemistry Degree in McKinney, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Chemistry degree analysis for McKinney, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$58K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$89K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.7 yrs
in McKinney
Cost of Living
104.8
index (100 = avg)
Chemistry in McKinney, TX Overview
McKinney, Texas (pop. 199,177) has 8 colleges offering Chemistry programs. The local cost of living index of 104.8 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,140/month. Although national enrollment in Chemistry has been declining, graduates with skills in Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in McKinney is approximately $57,640, growing to $89,080 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$13,870/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,814/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
59%
Chemistry Salary in McKinney (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for McKinney's cost of living index of 104.8 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Chemistry salary: $55,000 starting, $85,000 mid-career, $110,000 senior level.McKinney adjustment factor: 1.05x based on the local cost of living index.
Chemistry ROI Calculator for McKinney
Estimate your return on investment for a Chemistry degree using local McKinney tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
McKinney avg aid: $11,814/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$99,080
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$20,960
vs HS diploma in McKinney
ROI Payback Period
4.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in McKinney
$477,320
Lifetime earnings premium ($576,400) minus total education cost ($99,080)
Student Loan Payoff for Chemistry in McKinney
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in McKinney for Chemistry
McKinney State University
public
$10,909/yr
$43,636 total
University of McKinney
public
$10,604/yr
$42,416 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
McKinney Community College
$5,398/yr
Top Employers for Chemistry in McKinney
McKinney offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Chemistry graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key McKinney Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Chemistry Job Titles
Chemistry in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$63K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$66K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$57K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$59K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$56K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$51K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$51K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$45K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Other STEM Majors in McKinney
Prompt Engineering
$52K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$100K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$89K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$92K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$86K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$52K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$84K starting · 3 yr ROI
Chemistry Degree in McKinney — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Chemistry ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in McKinney.