The chemical industry employs about 66% of all chemists. The majority will be involved in research and product development (R & D), sales, or marketing. Many work in quality control analysis, and testing products. Others may work in areas such as industrial hygiene and safety or regulatory work for environmental compliance.
Academic institutions employ about 26% of all chemists. Ph.D.’s are required for most academic positions at the college or university level. High schools require the B.S. in education degree plus subject matter certification.
Government employs about 7% of all chemists. Federal, state, and local government agencies hire chemists for a variety of jobs including basic research, testing work needed to enforce government regulations, technical program managers, and writers and editors of government regulations and technical documents.
A smaller percentage of chemists (1%) works in nontraditional fields. Some are patent lawyers, science writers, information specialists, technical librarians, technical consultants, or business owners.
For more information, you might want to check out the Careers in Chemistry information at About.com.
In 2000, chemists and materials scientists held about 92,000 jobs in the U.S.A. This number is expected to grow by 10-20% by 2010. Much of this job growth will be concentrated in pharmaceutical companies and in firms that specialize in research and testing services. Median starting salaries for BS chemists are currently around $32,000 according to the American Chemical Society salary survey. Note that A.C.S. data shows a direct relationship between GPA and starting salaries for Bachelor degreed chemists, i.e. those with higher GPA’s generally start at higher salaries. The median salary for all employed BS chemists was $59,700 according to the ACS 2003 salary survey.
Areas of Specialization Within Chemistry |
Typical Occupational Areas Within Specialization |
Typical Employers |
| Analytical Chemistry | Analysis and
Testing Consulting Development Environmental Forensics Industrial Quality Control Research |
Environmental
Laboratories Governmental Agencies and Labs Industrial and Manufacturing Firms Research Laboratories Universities and Colleges |
| Biochemistry | Analysis and
Testing Consulting Development Environmental Medical Quality Control Research |
Biotechnology
Firms Food Processors Governmental Agencies and Labs Industrial Firms Pharmaceutical Research Firms Plant/Animal Breeders and Growers Research Laboratories Universities and Colleges |
| Inorganic Chemistry | Analysis and
Testing Consulting Quality Control Research |
Governmental
Agencies and Labs Industrial and Manufacturing Firms Research Laboratories Universities and Colleges |
| Organic Chemistry | Analysis and
Testing Consulting Development Quality Control Research |
Governmental
Agencies and Labs Industrial and Manufacturing Firms Research Laboratories Universities and Colleges |
| Physical Chemistry | Analysis and
Testing Consulting Development Industrial Quality Control Research |
Governmental
Agencies and Labs Industrial and Manufacturing Firms Research Laboratories Universities and Colleges |
|
Other Areas Where A Chemistry Degree Can be Applied |
Typical Occupational Areas Within Specialization |
Typical Employers |
| Business | Consulting Management Marketing Pharmaceutical Sales Public Relations Technical Sales |
Industrial and
Manufacturing Firms Medical/Pharmaceutical Supply Companies |
| Education | Research Teaching |
Secondary Schools Universities and Colleges |
| Information Specialists | Manufacturing
Firms Research Organizations Special Libraries Universities and Colleges |
|
| Law | Patent Law | Industrial and
Manufacturing Firms Law Firms Private Practice Research and Development Firms |
| Technical Writing | Editing Proposal Writing Manuals |
Industrial and
Manufacturing Firms Newspapers and Wire Services Research Product Development Firms Scientific Publishers |
How much education do you need? Should you go to graduate/law school to earn an advanced degree? This depends, of course, on the individual and his/her career goals. Consider the following:
People with advanced degrees in chemistry tend to earn higher salaries, experience more rapid career development, and generally have more career options. Of course, those advanced degrees also require an additional 2-8 years of study beyond the undergraduate level. In the case of the Ph.D. degree, 1-2 years of post-doctoral research experience is also often required for university/college level teaching positions and some research positions.
The Ph.D. degree is usually required for: (1) Teaching positions at the university level; (2) Managerial and other advanced positions within industrial/manufacturing firms and governmental agencies/laboratories; (3) Many research positions.
The M.S. degree is often sufficient for employment in: (1) Applied research within industrial and governmental laboratories; (2) Teaching positions at community colleges.
The B.S./B.A. degree is sufficient for many entry-level positions in industry and governmental laboratories, but tends to limit career advancement up the "corporate ladder".
Other Considerations:
Effective planning for a career as a chemist involves thinking "outside the box", so to speak. Consider taking courses outside of chemistry that will help you reach your career goals. For example, all chemists need to be able to communicate effectively. Since reports, papers and presentations are all part of life for chemists, consideration should be given to taking courses that involve writing and public speaking. Courses in computer science may also be useful for those interested in applying computers to solving chemical problems. Interested in a career in sales, marketing, management, or other business related field within chemical industry? Consider taking business courses or obtaining a MBA degree. Have you taken enough mathematics courses? Statistics might be very useful to your career. Because biotechnology is growing rapidly in importance, chemists might want to consider taking biochemistry and biology courses.
And it is important to keep your grades up! American Chemical Society data shows a direct relationship between GPA and starting salaries for Bachelor degreed chemists, i.e. those with higher GPA’s generally start at higher salaries. How you do in school has a direct bearing on your future economic potential!
Updated on 09/29/05
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