Chemistry Degree in New Orleans, LA — Salary & ROI 2026
Chemistry degree analysis for New Orleans, LA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$50K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$77K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.4 yrs
in New Orleans
Cost of Living
90
index (100 = avg)
Chemistry in New Orleans, LA Overview
New Orleans is one of Louisiana's top college towns, with 23 institutions and a student population of 36,626. Public tuition averages $8,834/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. 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 New Orleans is approximately $49,500, growing to $76,500 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
23
Public Tuition
$8,834/yr
Private Tuition
$53,112/yr
Room & Board
$11,173/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,952/yr
Unemployment
4.7%
Graduation Rate
70%
Chemistry Salary in New Orleans (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for New Orleans's cost of living index of 90 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Chemistry salary: $55,000 starting, $85,000 mid-career, $110,000 senior level.New Orleans adjustment factor: 0.90x based on the local cost of living index.
Chemistry ROI Calculator for New Orleans
Estimate your return on investment for a Chemistry degree using local New Orleans tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,834 | Private avg: $53,112
New Orleans avg aid: $15,952/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$80,028
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$18,000
vs HS diploma in New Orleans
ROI Payback Period
4.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in New Orleans
$414,972
Lifetime earnings premium ($495,000) minus total education cost ($80,028)
Student Loan Payoff for Chemistry in New Orleans
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in New Orleans for Chemistry
Tulane University
private
$62,844/yr
$251,376 total
University of New Orleans
public
$8,834/yr
$35,336 total
Loyola University New Orleans
private
$43,380/yr
$173,520 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Delgado Community College
$4,236/yr
Top Employers for Chemistry in New Orleans
New Orleans offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Chemistry graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key New Orleans Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Chemistry Job Titles
Chemistry in Nearby Louisiana Cities
Baton Rouge, LA
$45K starting · COL 82
16 colleges
Shreveport, LA
$54K starting · COL 99
14 colleges
Metairie, LA
$49K starting · COL 89.4
6 colleges
Lafayette, LA
$57K starting · COL 104
5 colleges
Lake Charles, LA
$44K starting · COL 80
6 colleges
Bossier City, LA
$48K starting · COL 87.8
3 colleges
Kenner, LA
$51K starting · COL 92.5
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in New Orleans
Prompt Engineering
$45K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$86K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$77K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$79K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$74K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$72K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Chemistry Degree in New Orleans — 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 New Orleans.