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How to hire an associate chemist

Associate chemist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring associate chemists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an associate chemist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new associate chemist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an associate chemist, step by step

To hire an associate chemist, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an associate chemist:

Here's a step-by-step associate chemist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an associate chemist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate chemist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate chemist do?

An Associate Chemist performs and analyzes chemical tests and procedures. They maintain the stock of drugs and ensure that they are stored in a secure place.

Learn more about the specifics of what an associate chemist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the associate chemist you need to hire. Certain associate chemist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An associate chemist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate chemists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents associate chemist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Associate ChemistDescriptionHourly rate
    Associate ChemistChemists and materials scientists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and the ways in which the substances interact with one another. They use their knowledge to develop new and improved products and to test the quality of manufactured goods.$18-46
    Quality Control CoordinatorA quality control coordinator is in charge of organizing and overseeing an organization's quality control procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They coordinate teams and activities, delegate tasks, conduct audits, set goals, establish guidelines, gather and analyze client feedback, and develop strategies to optimize operations... Show more$11-49
    Chemical TechnicianA chemical technician is responsible for supporting chemists and laboratory technicians in performing laboratory investigations and examining chemical components and structures. Chemical technicians ensure the stability of laboratory tools and equipment, performing proper sterilization and segregation of disposable materials, and maintaining the adequacy of inventory... Show more$14-27
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Lab Equipment
    • HPLC
    • Method Development
    • Ms
    • Product Development
    • Analytical Methods
    • QC
    • R
    • Analytical Procedures
    • Sample Preparation
    • UV/Vis
    • Laboratory Notebook
    • GC
    • Test Results
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
    • Utilize GC, UV/vis, FT-IR, pH meter, and titration
    • Assay ointments and liquids per company test methods and USP procedures.
    • Utilize and maintain, TLC, GC, IR, UV/VIS Spectro-photometer and Karl Fischer
    • Utilize GC, UV and FTIR spectroscopy for products identification of reaction of o-cresol with nitric acid.
    • Operate and maintain analytical instruments such as FTIR, DSC and TGA.
    More associate chemist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your associate chemist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An associate chemist can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, associate chemists' average salary in south dakota is 59% less than in virginia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level associate chemists 60% less than senior-level associate chemists.
    • Certifications. An associate chemist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an associate chemist's salary.

    Average associate chemist salary

    $61,544yearly

    $29.59 hourly rate

    Entry-level associate chemist salary
    $39,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 24, 2026

    Average associate chemist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$76,736$37
    2Delaware$75,746$36
    3New Jersey$66,945$32
    4California$66,925$32
    5Pennsylvania$57,563$28
    6Ohio$57,399$28
    7North Carolina$55,326$27
    8Minnesota$54,296$26
    9Iowa$54,020$26
    10Missouri$51,959$25
    11Michigan$51,427$25
    12Indiana$50,345$24
    13Alabama$50,099$24
    14Illinois$49,480$24
    15Washington$49,392$24
    16Wisconsin$46,195$22
    17Florida$44,848$22

    Average associate chemist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Alere$102,682$49.37
    2Genentech$102,517$49.29
    3The Dow Chemical Company$102,268$49.174
    4BASF$97,772$47.011
    5Florida Power and Light $92,086$44.27
    6Air Liquide$91,117$43.81
    7LANXESS Americas$89,296$42.931
    8Brookhaven National Laboratory$89,071$42.82
    9Medtronic$88,233$42.421
    10Novartis$84,249$40.50
    11Eli Lilly and Company$83,265$40.0318
    12Plug Power$79,077$38.02
    13Johnson Matthey Plc$78,245$37.62
    14Nektar Therapeutics$74,003$35.58
    15Henkel$73,739$35.459
    16Sherwin-Williams$73,293$35.245
    17Benjamin Moore$72,345$34.78
    18Integrated Resources$66,622$32.0393
    19Cooper Tire & Rubber$65,550$31.51
    20Abbott$64,494$31.014
  4. Writing an associate chemist job description

    An associate chemist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an associate chemist job description:

    Associate chemist job description example

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and/or walk, talk and/or hear, and/or use hands to finger, handle, or touch objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, reach above shoulders, and/or taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds and must also regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

    Work Environment

    Office and laboratory based. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but may be loud while working in production areas. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts, in high precarious places, in proximity to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, or in outdoor weather conditions.

    Company DescriptionSACO AEI Polymers is part of a global conglomerate of companies owned by AESSE Investments, Ltd. AESSE Investments is a private holding company that provides integrated upper management and financial supervision to its group of companies. The polymer side of the group has locations in Europe, North America, South East Asia, China and India.

    Together these companies synergistically service the polymer industry by developing, manufacturing and delivering a full range of Thermoplastic & Thermoset Compounds, Additives and Masterbatches for the Wire & Cable, Pipe & Fittings, Building & Construction, Electrical & Electronics, Film & Sheet, and Specialty Markets.

    Through a consultative approach, our customers can leverage our equipment, processing expertise and formulating expertise to bring their formulations to the market. The company prides itself on the processes that keep customers proprietary information confidential, the quality of products we make and the level of attention that we give to each individual customer.

    Our long history of custom formulating for unique applications has helped fuel our growth in commercially available products, which are built on PP, PE, PU, PA, PS, EPDM, EPR and TPE resins. Our expertise also extends into Non-Halogenated and Halogenated Flame Retardants, Synergists and Smoke Suppressants for the development of compounds that meet new and evolving industry standards.

    At SACO AEI Polymers, our dedication and investment in research and development has resulted in the fastest go-to-market solutions for our customers. Our Global R&D Facilities are customer responsive, with outstanding formulation chemists, and extensive analytical laboratory capabilities. Our formulations are validated by real life application testing. SACO AEI Polymers, delivering exceptional technical performance. That is the essence of our brand.

    Our quality driven global facilities are registered to both ISO9001: 2008 and OHSAS 18001.
  5. Post your job

    To find associate chemists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any associate chemists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level associate chemists with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your associate chemist job on Zippia to find and recruit associate chemist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with associate chemist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new associate chemist

    Once you've found the associate chemist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new associate chemist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an associate chemist?

Before you start to hire associate chemists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire associate chemists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

The median annual salary for associate chemists is $61,544 in the US. However, the cost of associate chemist hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring an associate chemist for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $18 and $46 an hour.

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