Chemists
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 19-2031.00United States
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
- Median annual earnings
- $91,671
- Projected change
- +8.2%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 85.46K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
60.1% of the workforce
Growing to 92.5K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What chemists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods.
- Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques.
- Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis.
- Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed.
- Conduct quality control tests.
- Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests.
- Prepare test solutions, compounds, or reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct tests.
- Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions.
- Confer with scientists or engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests.
- Evaluate laboratory safety procedures to ensure compliance with standards or to make improvements as needed.
- Direct, coordinate, or advise personnel in test procedures for analyzing components or physical properties of materials.
- Purchase laboratory supplies, such as chemicals, when supplies are low or near their expiration date.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $58,063
- 25th percentile
- $69,335
- 50th percentile
- $91,671
- 75th percentile
- $127,053
- 90th percentile
- $162,733
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $91,671 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+8.2%faster than average
202585,463 jobs
2035 projected92,495 jobs
7,032 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 60.1%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 30%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 9.9%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Chemists2,285 postings
- 02Scientists1,705 postings
- 03Analytical Chemists1,551 postings
- 04Quality Control Chemists912 postings
- 05Principal Scientists707 postings
- 06Research Scientists553 postings
- 07Directors of Sales Operations482 postings
- 08Associate Scientists444 postings
- 09Analytical Scientists422 postings
- 10Analytical Development Scientists389 postings
- 11Sales Enablement Managers333 postings
- 12Chemistry Scientists304 postings
- 13Assay Development Scientists288 postings
- 14Environmental Field Chemists271 postings
- 15Quality Control Scientists266 postings
- 16Sales Operations Managers244 postings
- 17Bioanalytical Scientists221 postings
- 18Chemistry Specialists209 postings
- 19Synthetic Chemists189 postings
- 20Lead Chemists172 postings
Top employers
- 01Actalent1,126 postings
- 02Parexel755 postings
- 03Eurofins516 postings
- 04Eli Lilly472 postings
- 05Clean Harbors470 postings
- 06Turing380 postings
- 07AbbVie296 postings
- 08Kelly Services251 postings
- 09Merck & Co.197 postings
- 10Pacific Northwest National Laboratory193 postings
- 11Randstad171 postings
- 12Thermo Fisher Scientific163 postings
- 13UKG159 postings
- 14Regeneron Pharmaceuticals153 postings
- 15Spectraforce Technologies133 postings
- 16Planet Pharma126 postings
- 17Edwards Lifesciences125 postings
- 18Amgen124 postings
- 19Danaher117 postings
- 20Global Source Logistics117 postings
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