Chemists
What Chemists Do
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Chemistryimportance 4.9/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.3/5
- Physicsimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians88% skill match
- Biological Technicians86% skill match
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health83% skill match
- Audiologists83% skill match
- Nurse Anesthetists83% skill match
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer82% skill match
- Chemical Technicians82% skill match
- Prepress Technicians and Workers81% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Accelrys Cerius2
- Accelrys DeCipher
- Advanced Chemistry Development ACD/1D nuclear magnetic resonance NMR processor
- Agilent ChemStation
- Apple iWork
- Apple iWork Keynote
- Apple iWork Numbers
- Apple iWork Pages
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where chemists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Bay City, MI13.84× national avg
- 2Midland, MI11.92× national avg
- 3Durham-Chapel Hill, NC6.24× national avg
- 4Boulder, CO4.84× national avg
- 5Bloomington, IN4.78× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Biological TechniciansLateral Move
- Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerCareer Change
- Chemical TechniciansLateral Move
- Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Chemistry, General
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA)grads earn ~$77,249
- University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)grads earn ~$56,179
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$82,386
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)grads earn ~$70,197
- CUNY Hunter College (New York, NY)grads earn ~$54,699
Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Boston, MA)grads earn ~$141,852
- Northeastern University Professional Programs (Boston, MA)grads earn ~$136,474
- University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)grads earn ~$86,586
- University of Maryland Baltimore (Baltimore, MD)grads earn ~$148,993
- Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, FL)