Is Specialty Chemicals A Good Career Path? (15 Jobs In Specialty Chemicals: Best-Paying + Entry-Level)

Yes, specialty chemicals is a good career path. If you’re an individual who enjoys chemicals and chemistry, pursuing a career in specialty chemicals may be a dream come true.

This career is fast-growing and offers a wide variety of opportunities with great pay. This multi-billion dollar industry improves the performance and processing of industrial products.

The number of industries producing consumer goods will continue to grow, which means the demand for chemicals that improve or enhance the performance and processing of these goods will grow too. This also means you’ll enjoy steady employment and solid career advancement if you choose.

The 8 Best-Paying Jobs in Specialty Chemicals

Due to the highly skilled nature of working with chemicals, specialty chemicals has a plethora of opportunities for those who may have studied chemistry or a related field in college. These positions are highly lucrative, as companies are willing to pay a hefty sum for the specialized knowledge you may have. Here are some of the best-paying jobs in specialty chemicals:

1. Chemical Engineer

   Average Annual Salary: $85,000

   A chemical engineer is an individual responsible for finding more cost-effective ways to utilize raw materials and energy. They may use chemistry and engineering to discover ways to transform raw materials into useable products like pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and polymers.

   Chemical engineers are one of the highest-paid professions in most chemical companies as their job is one of the most critical components of making the business run. This career path is also in relatively high demand across industries, so it’s a great job to pursue for job stability.

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2. Pharmacologist

   Average Annual Salary: $82,000

   Pharmacologists are individuals who study and test drugs and chemical compounds for the development of life-saving medicinal therapies. They may also need to study drug interactions and drug metabolism and distribution in their research to ensure pharmaceutical drugs are doing their jobs correctly.

   Pharmacologists must have exceptional math and science skills in order to analyze information relating to biochemistry and other scientific fields. They work mostly with data while parsing statistics to get the right numbers needed to study and sign off on certain pharmaceutical drugs.

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3. Chemical Technician

   Average Annual Salary: $39,000

   Chemical technicians are individuals who conduct laboratory tests to help scientists analyze certain properties of materials. These individuals typically work in laboratories or manufacturing facilities, like a chemical manufacturing plant, where they perform their duties on site.

   Chemical technicians perform a variety of chemical experiments and may utilize certain lab equipment to do so. They may also be in charge of ensuring the research chemists perform their lab experiments to the proper specifications and meet specific deadlines.

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4. Material Scientist

   Average Annual Salary: $83,000

   A materials scientist is an individual who studies and analyzes the chemical properties and structure of different materials, whether they be natural or man-made. This can include everything from glass, rubber, ceramic, alloys, polymers, and metals. They study these materials to gain new knowledge.

   With this knowledge, materials scientists can create new ways to strengthen existing materials, combine particular materials, or create brand new materials with certain ideal properties and characteristics depending on the purpose or application they are being used for.

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5. Hazardous Waste Chemist

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   Hazardous waste chemists are individuals who work on teams responsible for detecting and identifying any chemical pollutants in the environment, including the air, water, and soil. They help to reduce pollution and remediate problems created by hazardous waste.

   Hazardous waste chemists typically use skills found in analytical chemistry to determine the chemical makeup of an object that may be hazardous. They also must work closely with other scientists such as biologists or toxicologists to evaluate the material and properly dispose of it.

6. Water Chemist

   Average Annual Salary: $61,000

   Water chemists are individuals who analyze and maintain the quality and condition of local water sources. They may work as bench chemists or data review chemists, most commonly found in government or working for private sector environmental management companies.

   Water chemistry covers a variety of things which means water chemists may wear a number of different hats. They may also have different areas of discipline, such as hydrologists, hydrogeologists, and hydro biogeochemists, among other titles. Water chemists use their knowledge about water for applications that affect the ecosystem.

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7. Toxicologist

   Average Annual Salary: $74,000

   A toxicologist is an individual who typically has a strong understanding of multiple scientific disciplines like biology and chemistry. They may work with chemicals and other substances to determine if they are toxic or harmful to human beings, other living organisms, or the environment.

   Toxicologists can work in several different specialties, just like doctors. For example, a toxicologist in pharma might work to ensure new pharmaceutical drugs are safe for human consumption. A toxicologist working at the National Toxicology Program might be involved in overseeing studies that create a controlled environment.

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8. Analytical Chemist

   Average Annual Salary: $61,000

   An analytical chemist is an individual who studies the chemical makeup and interactions of different materials. This might be anything from man-made chemicals, organic materials, and new chemical compounds that scientists have created for different purposes.

   Analytical chemists can conduct experiments and research that contribute to the work of other scientific professions, such as pharmaceuticals or the discovery of new chemical behaviors. Analytical chemists can also specialize in areas like toxicology, forensics, or quality control.

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7 Entry-Level Jobs in Specialty Chemicals

If you’re looking to pursue a job in specialty chemicals, it’s a great idea to look first for an internship or apprenticeship to put some of your skills into practice before applying for an entry-level job. Although these are considered entry-level, many of them do require previous experience and hands-on training.

1. Business Development Representative – Specialty Chemical

   Average Annual Salary: $48,000

   Business development representatives are individuals who work internally at companies to encourage client growth. All industries, including specialty chemicals, require some initiative for growth; however, in this field, individuals must not only be salespeople but very knowledgeable in specialty chemicals.

   For the most part, business development representatives are required to develop and present business cases for growth, work towards strategic objectives, manage project plans, track systemic project tracking, initiate and pursue new business opportunities, and communicate across relevant teams.

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2. Chemical Plant Operator

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   A chemical plant operator is an individual who oversees the operations within a plant. They may be responsible for handling heavy items, receiving and discharging industrial chemicals from tanker truck shipments or a pipeline, enforcing safety restrictions, and understanding how to mix and blend specialty chemicals.

   Other responsibilities may include unloading items once delivered, maintaining liquid storage in totes, barrels, or tanks, transferring products and ensuring equipment is up to code and operating, monitoring, and troubleshooting the manufacturing process to ensure all operations run smoothly.

3. Production Supervisor

   Average Annual Salary: $64,000

   Production supervisors are responsible for ensuring plant employees meet manufacturing schedules. They coordinate production operations, maintain effective quality procedures, and adhere to safety regulations for the entire facility.

   This job requires a fair amount of leadership and knowledge of how a plant runs. These individuals are expected to work towards always improving and enhancing operations by implementing necessary changes within departments or recommending them to management.

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4. Chemical Plant Maintenance Technician

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   A chemical plant maintenance technician is an individual who is responsible for performing maintenance and repairs for a facility with the specific regulations of that location or industry. They may perform maintenance on equipment and repairs or schedule service calls with specialized contractors to perform necessary repairs.

   These technicians work closely with the engineering staff, developing a maintenance schedule or process to continually service all necessary equipment. They may also be responsible for reporting on all of these tests and inspections, adhering to specific regulations, and reporting to management.

5. Quality Control Analyst

   Average Annual Salary: $51,000

   Quality control analysts are individuals who perform physical and chemical tests of products, then compare the results with specifications. They are responsible for preparing certificates of analysis for the clients they serve as well as emailing or printing them.

   Quality control analysts should have a strong background in chemical laboratory procedures to be considered for this career, as well as strong attention to detail and analytical skills. Quality control analysts may be required to travel, depending on their client list, as well.

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6. Chemical Packager

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   Chemical packagers are responsible for cleaning packaging materials, loading items into containers, weighing, and labeling the items appropriately. They may also be responsible for performing checks for defective items and ensuring all working items make it to the loading area.

   Chemical packagers are one of the final checkpoints between buyer and manufacturer and perform the important job of ensuring all items work properly. In specialty chemicals, this may require handling hazardous chemicals and ensuring the weight matches what is specified by the buyer.

7. Service Technician

   Average Annual Salary: $38,000

   Service technicians in specialty chemicals typically work in a variety of different fields. They must have knowledge of how to perform chemical treatment, minor troubleshooting, and maintenance. Service technicians operate as field representatives to assist and answer any customer or employee questions or concerns.

   Service technicians may also be tasked with performing preventive maintenance and cleaning on equipment as well as using technology to perform service and communication between teams. Service technicians may also be required to deliver chemicals when needed.

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Why Choose a Career in Specialty Chemicals?

The specialty chemicals industry isn’t for everyone. You’ll want to make sure you have a healthy passion for chemistry and chemicals as well as math, analytical, and science skills in order to be successful and competitive. Here are some reasons why to choose a career in specialty chemicals:

• Specialized industry. Specialized industries have both pros and cons, but if you are a highly skilled individual in chemicals and chemistry, pursuing a career in specialty chemicals could be both rewarding and lucrative.

• Pursue a career field relevant to your interests and skills. Because specialty chemicals span a wide range of industrial products, you can choose from a selection of different career types depending on what interests you or where your skills best fit.

• Wide range of opportunities to choose from. The specialty chemicals industry’s products are divided into market-oriented products and function-oriented products.

  If you are interested in electronics or oilfields, market-oriented might be right for you, while function-oriented jobs refer to those in industries like adhesive, fragrance, dyes, and flavors.

Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Specialty Chemicals

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in specialty chemicals, you’ll want to make sure you do your research first. Because of its highly specialized nature, most jobs in specialty chemicals require experience, training, and, more often than not, secondary education.

• Special training is required because you’ll be working with toxic, flammable, and hazardous chemicals. You’ll need to be sure to understand how to handle these chemicals safely and what to do in case of emergencies.

• University degrees in relevant fields will help you stand out from the competition. Because the jobs vary so drastically in specialty chemicals, the degree you pursue may be different depending on what career you’re interested in. For most chemistry-related employment, a bachelor’s degree is required.

• You may need even more experience and skills after obtaining your degree. Typically, those in specialty chemicals pursue an internship or industrial training program to gain experience. This helps you to learn new skills and put what you learned in your education into practice.

What Do People Working In Specialty Chemicals Do?

Working in specialty chemicals means working with chemical products that are crucial in industries like automotive, aerospace, food, cosmetics, agriculture, manufacturing, and textiles which are highly dependent on chemicals to produce their goods. Chemists mix formulations to achieve the desired goal of any given chemical.

The global specialty chemical market is significantly large and has accelerated growth year over year. Because specialty chemicals exist in so many different industries, the responsibilities of those working within this industry may vary. The world’s top five specialty chemical segments are polymers, cleaners, water management, catalysts, and textiles.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.