Chemistry Degree in San Francisco, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Chemistry degree analysis for San Francisco, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$63K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$97K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.9 yrs
in San Francisco
Cost of Living
114
index (100 = avg)
Chemistry in San Francisco, CA Overview
San Francisco is one of California's top college towns, with 22 institutions and a student population of 65,778. Public tuition averages $7,266/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 San Francisco is approximately $62,700, growing to $96,900 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
22
Public Tuition
$7,266/yr
Private Tuition
$36,185/yr
Room & Board
$15,030/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,071/yr
Unemployment
3.4%
Graduation Rate
58%
Chemistry Salary in San Francisco (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Francisco's cost of living index of 114 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Chemistry salary: $55,000 starting, $85,000 mid-career, $110,000 senior level.San Francisco adjustment factor: 1.14x based on the local cost of living index.
Chemistry ROI Calculator for San Francisco
Estimate your return on investment for a Chemistry degree using local San Francisco tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,266 | Private avg: $36,185
San Francisco avg aid: $11,071/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$89,184
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$22,800
vs HS diploma in San Francisco
ROI Payback Period
3.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Francisco
$537,816
Lifetime earnings premium ($627,000) minus total education cost ($89,184)
Student Loan Payoff for Chemistry in San Francisco
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Francisco for Chemistry
University of San Francisco
private
$54,514/yr
$218,056 total
San Francisco State University
public
$7,266/yr
$29,064 total
Golden Gate University
private
$17,856/yr
$71,424 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
City College of San Francisco
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Chemistry in San Francisco
San Francisco offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Chemistry graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key San Francisco Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Chemistry Job Titles
Chemistry in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$78K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$77K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$71K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
Fresno, CA
$65K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$62K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$64K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$73K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$74K starting · COL 134
18 colleges
Other STEM Majors in San Francisco
Prompt Engineering
$57K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$108K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$97K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$100K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$93K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$57K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$91K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$57K starting · 3 yr ROI
Chemistry Degree in San Francisco — 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 San Francisco.