What are the main factors that influence a Plastics Engineer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Plastics Engineer's salary?

A Plastics Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Plastics Engineer (0-2 years)earns $84,772, a Chemical Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $98,577, a Chemical Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $116,000, a Chemical Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $140,235, a Chemical Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $167,070,

What are the highest paying states for a Plastics Engineer?

Plastics Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Plastics Engineer roles are District of Columbia $91,720, California $91,372, Massachusetts $90,154. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Plastics Engineer roles make?

Salaries for Plastics Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Chemical Engineer - Advisor: $190,300; Chemical Engineer - Expert/Consultant: $164,800; Senior Chemical Engineer: $114,490; Intermediate Chemical Engineer: $97,290; Plastics Manufacturing Maintenance Supervisor: $86,025.

How do different companies affect a Plastics Engineer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Plastics Engineer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Plastics Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Plastics Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Plastics Engineer in the United States is $82,840 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Plastics Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,561
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $76,782 to $89,498
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,267

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Plastics Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,498	$7,458	$1,721	$43
Average	$82,840	$6,903	$1,593	$40
25th Percentile	$76,782	$6,398	$1,477	$37

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Check out Plastics Engineer Job Openings in the United States

PLASTICS ENGINEER

Diedre Moire Corp. - North Olmsted, OH

PLASTICS ENGINEER

Diedre Moire Corp. - Massillon, OH

Plastics Engineer

Diedre Moire Corp. - North Olmsted, OH

Plastics Engineer

Diedre Moire Corp. - Massillon, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Plastics Engineer Salaries

A Plastics Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Plastics Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Plastics Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $84,772
Early Career (1-2 years): $98,577
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $116,000
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $140,235
Expert (over 8 years): $167,070

Levels	Salary
Plastics ... Level Plastics Engineer	$84,772
Chemical ... Level Plastics Engineer	$98,577
Chemical ... Level Plastics Engineer	$116,000
Chemical ... Level Plastics Engineer	$140,235
Chemical ... Level Plastics Engineer	$167,070

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Plastics Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Plastics Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $91,720.
California: $91,372.
Massachusetts: $90,154.

District of Columbia $91,720 California $91,372 Massachusetts $90,154 Washington $89,823 New Jersey $89,790 Alaska $89,674 Connecticut $88,531 New York $88,067

Hawaii $86,584 Rhode Island $85,888 Maryland $85,416 Minnesota $84,770 Colorado $84,521 Illinois $84,438 Oregon $84,124 Delaware $83,892

New Hampshire $83,746 Virginia $83,419 Pennsylvania $82,467 Nevada $81,986 North Dakota $81,829 Michigan $81,580 Wisconsin $81,489 Vermont $81,307

Texas $80,802 Maine $80,769 Arizona $80,719 Ohio $80,661 Georgia $79,899 Indiana $79,518 Wyoming $79,443 Utah $79,327

Iowa $79,277 Kansas $78,880 Louisiana $78,764 North Carolina $78,722 Missouri $78,706 Florida $78,383 Montana $78,209 Nebraska $78,043

Kentucky $77,952 South Carolina $77,621 Tennessee $77,414 Idaho $77,331 New Mexico $76,726 Oklahoma $76,593 Alabama $76,105 South Dakota $75,285

Arkansas $74,837 West Virginia $74,597 Mississippi $73,876

Top Paying Cities for Plastics Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $104,485
San Francisco: $103,458
Oakland: $101,164

San Jose, CA $104,485

San Francisco, CA $103,458

Oakland, CA $101,164

New York, NY $96,003

Queens Village, NY $95,381

Paramus, NJ $94,719

Passaic, NJ $94,636

Bergenfield, NJ $94,553

Stamford, CT $94,429

Huntington, NY $94,346

Newark, NJ $93,807

Bridgeport, CT $93,642

New Brunswick, NJ $93,368

Vallejo, CA $93,194

Middlesex, NJ $93,145

Somerset, NJ $93,070

Petaluma, CA $92,880

Santa Cruz, CA $92,557

Boston, MA $92,391

Monterey, CA $91,977

Fairbanks, AK $91,919

Los Angeles, CA $91,761

Washington, DC $91,720

Seattle, WA $91,571

Santa Rosa, CA $91,554

Juneau, AK $91,314

Orange, CA $91,041

Anchorage, AK $90,892

Anaheim, CA $90,834

Santa Ana, CA $90,709

Nassau, NY $90,660

Long Beach, CA $90,626

Danbury, CT $90,602

Santa Maria, CA $90,320

Everett, WA $90,303

Bremerton, WA $89,897

Trenton, NJ $89,740

Sacramento, CA $89,707

San Diego, CA $89,665

Brockton, MA $89,632

Tacoma, WA $89,599

Santa Barbara, CA $89,483

Lowell, MA $89,152

New Suffolk, NY $89,119

Nashua, NH $89,019

Lompoc, CA $88,887

Ventura, CA $88,804

Stockton, CA $88,779

New Haven, CT $88,613

Atlantic City, NJ $88,398

Hartford, CT $88,216

Modesto, CA $88,174

Poughkeepsie, NY $87,992

New Britain, CT $87,951

Kennewick, WA $87,835

Olympia, WA $87,835

New London, CT $87,818

Norwich, CT $87,793

Lawrence, MA $87,752

Bakersfield, CA $87,520

New Bedford, MA $87,404

Riverside, CA $87,404

Richland, WA $87,321

Portsmouth, NH $87,255

Vineland, NJ $87,238

San Bernardino, CA $87,172

Boulder, CO $86,940

Worcester, MA $86,874

Portland, OR $86,799

Saint Paul, MN $86,700

Minneapolis, MN $86,700

Philadelphia, PA $86,584

Honolulu, HI $86,145

Springfield, MA $85,855

Providence, RI $85,847

Chicago, IL $85,606

Bellingham, WA $85,507

Baltimore, MD $85,416

Chico, CA $85,209

Wilmington, DE $85,068

Pittsfield, MA $84,985

Manchester, NH $84,828

Spokane, WA $84,463

Denver, CO $84,455

Albany, NY $84,066

Troy, NY $84,032

Schenectady, NY $83,858

Burlington, VT $83,676

Portland, ME $83,386

Salem, OR $83,320

Yakima, WA $83,303

Ann Arbor, MI $83,279

Rochester, MN $83,047

Reno, NV $83,005

Fresno, CA $83,005

Milwaukee, WI $82,931

Detroit, MI $82,848

Allentown, PA $82,823

Carson City, NV $82,815

Houston, TX $82,690

Colorado Springs, CO $82,682

Syracuse, NY $82,641

Eugene, OR $82,483

Gary, IN $82,384

Bismarck, ND $82,384

Galveston, TX $82,384

Springfield, OR $82,318

Medford, OR $82,119

Fort Collins, CO $82,086

Austin, TX $82,019

Mesa, AZ $81,845

Phoenix, AZ $81,829

Dallas, TX $81,804

Reading, PA $81,754

Saint Cloud, MN $81,721

Concord, NH $81,647

Madison, WI $81,613

Utica, NY $81,390

Raleigh, NC $81,324

Las Vegas, NV $81,315

Rochester, NY $81,257

Des Moines, IA $81,249

Atlanta, GA $81,116

Battle Creek, MI $81,092

Salt Lake City, UT $81,067

Lancaster, PA $80,942

Champaign, IL $80,926

Harrisburg, PA $80,827

Durham, NC $80,752

Kansas City, MO $80,744

Kansas City, KS $80,727

Fort Worth, TX $80,719

Boca Raton, FL $80,686

Cleveland, OH $80,677

Columbus, OH $80,661

Pittsburgh, PA $80,653

Richmond, VA $80,619

Indianapolis, IN $80,603

Cincinnati, OH $80,495

Petersburg, VA $80,371

Lansing, MI $80,189

Billings, MT $80,189

Huntsville, AL $80,189

Lebanon, PA $80,180

Pueblo, CO $80,172

Dayton, OH $80,172

Appleton, WI $80,147

Buffalo, NY $80,114

Racine, WI $80,073

Charlotte, NC $80,064

Saint Louis, MO $80,040

Springfield, IL $80,006

York, PA $79,990

Elkhart, IN $79,990

Gastonia, NC $79,982

Benton Harbor, MI $79,982

Beaumont, TX $79,932

Lorain, OH $79,915

Toledo, OH $79,882

Binghamton, NY $79,841

Rock Hill, SC $79,832

Rockford, IL $79,791

Elyria, OH $79,750

Fargo, ND $79,750

Flagstaff, AZ $79,692

Fort Lauderdale, FL $79,642

Miami, FL $79,592

Duluth, MN $79,460

Bangor, ME $79,352

Cedar Rapids, IA $79,261

Louisville, KY $79,219

Grand Rapids, MI $79,203

Hialeah, FL $79,195

Casper, WY $79,079

Scranton, PA $78,979

New Orleans, LA $78,954

Virginia Beach, VA $78,946

Akron, OH $78,905

Peoria, IL $78,797

Sarasota, FL $78,780

Green Bay, WI $78,722

Baton Rouge, LA $78,681

Charleston, SC $78,664

Nashville, TN $78,640

Jamestown, NY $78,623

Davenport, IA $78,623

Tucson, AZ $78,582

Cheyenne, WY $78,557

Saint Petersburg, FL $78,532

Tampa, FL $78,515

Omaha, NE $78,499

Evansville, IN $78,466

Port Arthur, TX $78,466

Bradenton, FL $78,432

Santa Fe, NM $78,283

Orlando, FL $78,201

Clearwater, FL $78,109

La Crosse, WI $77,935

Canton, OH $77,935

Grand Forks, ND $77,911

Tulsa, OK $77,886

Albuquerque, NM $77,886

Newport News, VA $77,877

High Point, NC $77,853

Ogden, UT $77,819

Corpus Christi, TX $77,753

Laramie, WY $77,703

Norfolk, VA $77,703

Rock Island, IL $77,654

Saginaw, MI $77,637

Jacksonville, FL $77,629

Salisbury, NC $77,612

Memphis, TN $77,596

Moline, IL $77,554

Fort Myers, FL $77,530

Waterloo, IA $77,422

Spartanburg, SC $77,339

Lincoln, NE $77,298

Fort Wayne, IN $77,281

Birmingham, AL $77,190

Cedar Falls, IA $77,173

Provo, UT $77,165

Springfield, OH $77,157

San Antonio, TX $77,140

Greensboro, NC $77,107

South Bend, IN $77,099

Winston Salem, NC $77,090

Boise, ID $77,066

Savannah, GA $77,008

Muskegon, MI $76,859

Lima, OH $76,759

Lake Charles, LA $76,726

Anderson, IN $76,709

Lexington, KY $76,685

Augusta, GA $76,660

Greenville, SC $76,660

Wichita, KS $76,585

Tuscaloosa, AL $76,585

Columbia, SC $76,511

Bloomington, IN $76,303

Roanoke, VA $76,254

Asheville, NC $76,146

Knoxville, TN $76,005

Shreveport, LA $75,997

Wilmington, NC $75,889

Frankfort, KY $75,732

Oklahoma City, OK $75,674

Chillicothe, OH $75,641

Longview, TX $75,632

Topeka, KS $75,608

Mobile, AL $75,483

Terre Haute, IN $75,450

Erie, PA $75,442

Altoona, PA $75,401

Melbourne, FL $75,376

Amarillo, TX $75,343

Killeen, TX $75,318

Fayetteville, AR $75,251

Sioux Falls, SD $75,193

Chattanooga, TN $75,144

Idaho Falls, ID $75,135

Gainesville, FL $74,961

Portsmouth, OH $74,920

Little Rock, AR $74,903

Lynchburg, VA $74,903

Youngstown, OH $74,870

Lafayette, LA $74,870

Temple, TX $74,837

Daytona Beach, FL $74,821

Clarksville, TN $74,812

Pensacola, FL $74,804

Hopkinsville, KY $74,556

Charleston, WV $74,547

Florence, SC $74,506

Sioux City, IA $74,456

Macon, GA $74,216

Tallahassee, FL $74,208

Fayetteville, NC $74,191

Wichita Falls, TX $74,175

Waco, TX $74,175

Pine Bluff, AR $74,141

Vincennes, IN $73,984

Lubbock, TX $73,951

Great Falls, MT $73,901

Alamogordo, NM $73,893

Abilene, TX $73,827

Rapid City, SD $73,719

Monroe, LA $73,719

Albany, GA $73,669

Huntington, WV $73,661

Jackson, MS $73,653

Greenville, MS $73,644

Parkersburg, WV $73,561

Montgomery, AL $73,545

Johnstown, PA $73,528

Springfield, MO $73,462

Biloxi, MS $73,421

Sumter, SC $73,247

Columbus, GA $73,238

Twin Falls, ID $73,189

Pascagoula, MS $73,081

Kingsport, TN $72,866

Gulfport, MS $72,841

Alexandria, LA $72,567

Fort Smith, AR $72,360

El Paso, TX $72,137

Helena, MT $72,029

Las Cruces, NM $71,764

Harlingen, TX $71,532

Pocatello, ID $71,457

Florence, AL $71,433

Brownsville, TX $71,416

Dothan, AL $71,283

Mcallen, TX $71,242

Columbus, MS $70,629

Altus, OK $70,248

Lawton, OK $70,091

Pierre, SD $69,792

What Skills Can Increase a Plastics Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 5.91% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Design Engineering (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Creating a system, component, or process to develop new products and systems.
Support Services (Mentioned in 1.89% Job Postings): Support Services means those activities provided to or on behalf of a person in the areas of personal care and assistance and property maintenance in order to allow a person to live in the least restrictive environment.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	5.91%
Design Engineering	2.13%
Support Services	1.89%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Plastics Engineer's salary.

Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Innovation	$86,981	5%
Leadership	$85,325	3%
Initiative	$84,496	2%
Process Engineering	$84,496	2%
Manufacturing Processes	$84,496	2%
Chemical Engineering	$83,668	1%

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How Education impacts a Plastics Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Plastics Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Plastics Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between $81,116 and $85,865).

Plastics Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Plastics Engineer

No Diploma 0.4%

High School 0.9%

Associates 0.4%

Bachelors 68.5%

Masters 22.1%

Doctorate 7.7%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.4%
High School	0.9%
Associates	0.4%
Bachelors	68.5%
Masters	22.1%
Doctorate	7.7%

view as graph

Plastics Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Plastics Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$76,782

Average $82,840/year

$89,498

$6,398

Average $6,903/month

$7,458

$1,477

Average $1,593/week

$1,721

$37

Average $40/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$89,498	$7,458	$1,721	$43
Average	$82,840	$6,903	$1,593	$40
25th Percentile	$76,782	$6,398	$1,477	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Plastics Engineer

Salary Trends for Plastics Engineer

Salaries for a Plastics Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $82,958 in 2023 to around $75,292 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Plastics Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Plastics Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$82,958

2024

$79,150

2025

$75,292

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$82,958
2024	$79,150
2025	$75,292
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Plastics Engineer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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