1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
What is a Bench Chemist?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a bench chemist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.6 an hour? That's $57,401 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 3,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Bench Chemist Do
There are certain skills that many bench chemists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed math skills, organizational skills and problem-solving skills.
How To Become a Bench Chemist
If you're interested in becoming a bench chemist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 71.6% of bench chemists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.9% of bench chemists have master's degrees. Even though most bench chemists have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Bench Chemist Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a bench chemist can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as chemist, progress to a title such as scientist and then eventually end up with the title senior research associate.
Bench Chemist
Senior Research Associate
6 Years
Senior Chemist
7 Years
Laboratory Manager
5 Years
Quality Supervisor
7 Years
Quality Control Manager
7 Years
Laboratory Director
9 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Bench Chemist
Bench Chemists in America make an average salary of $57,401 per year or $28 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $84,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $39,000 per year.
Average Bench Chemist Salary
$57,401 Yearly$27.60 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Bench Chemist
There are several types of bench chemist, including:
Chemist
Role:
If you're looking for a career that will blow all the other careers out of the water, becoming a chemist will quite literally do that. At least the blowing up part. Chemists get to study how substance interact with each other, while studying them at atomic and molecular levels.
You won't have to worry about any schedule changes because chemists tend to keep regular, full-time hours. Plus, you'll get to work in a lab. It'll be like "Dexter's Laboratory" and you could be Dexter! But seriously, blowing stuff up is where it's at.
You won't have to worry about any schedule changes because chemists tend to keep regular, full-time hours. Plus, you'll get to work in a lab. It'll be like "Dexter's Laboratory" and you could be Dexter! But seriously, blowing stuff up is where it's at.
- Average Salary: $64,961
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Analytical Chemist
Role:
Putting the pieces together is what being an analytical chemist is all about. If you decide to pursue a job in this field, you'll be figuring out how the final product is put together. Analytical chemists determine the structure, composition, and nature of substances by examining and identifying their various elements or compounds.
As an analytical chemist, you'll have the chance to contribute to a wide range of applications, including food safety, pharmaceuticals, and pollution control. Analytical chemists often work in service-related jobs and are typically employed in industry, academia, and government. You'll also need to have an in-depth knowledge of instrumentation, computers, and statistics.
Some other tasks that you may be asked to perform include conducting basic laboratory research, performing process and product development, designing instruments used in the analytical analysis, and preparing product license documentation. Having a logical and independent mind, plus the ability to solve complex problems, will enable you to succeed in this field.
To obtain an entry-level position as an analytical chemist, you'll need a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics, or a related field. Obtaining extensive lab experience through work-study programs or internships is also highly recommended.
As an analytical chemist, you'll have the chance to contribute to a wide range of applications, including food safety, pharmaceuticals, and pollution control. Analytical chemists often work in service-related jobs and are typically employed in industry, academia, and government. You'll also need to have an in-depth knowledge of instrumentation, computers, and statistics.
Some other tasks that you may be asked to perform include conducting basic laboratory research, performing process and product development, designing instruments used in the analytical analysis, and preparing product license documentation. Having a logical and independent mind, plus the ability to solve complex problems, will enable you to succeed in this field.
To obtain an entry-level position as an analytical chemist, you'll need a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics, or a related field. Obtaining extensive lab experience through work-study programs or internships is also highly recommended.
- Average Salary: $61,573
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Quality Control Chemist
Role:
As you can imagine, when you're working in a lab, it's important to make sure that everything's done right. Just one mistake could be disastrous. The quality control chemists are the ones who ensure that everything is done properly. To do this, they prepare, measure, and test samples, lab materials, and products according to industry-specific standard procedures. They typically work in the pharmaceutical or manufacturing fields as part of a team effort.
If you decide to work in this field, you'll need to interpret test results, compare them to established specifications, perform visual inspections of finished products, and complete documentation needed to support testing procedures. You'll also need to be safety-conscious since you'll often work with hazardous materials.
If you're thinking of becoming a quality control chemist, you'll typically need a Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Experience working in a manufacturing lab and knowledge of analytical testing techniques are also very beneficial.
If you decide to work in this field, you'll need to interpret test results, compare them to established specifications, perform visual inspections of finished products, and complete documentation needed to support testing procedures. You'll also need to be safety-conscious since you'll often work with hazardous materials.
If you're thinking of becoming a quality control chemist, you'll typically need a Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Experience working in a manufacturing lab and knowledge of analytical testing techniques are also very beneficial.
- Average Salary: $58,892
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Bench Chemist Jobs
Number Of Bench Chemist Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 185 | $55,625 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 90 | $51,762 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 75 | $67,421 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 74 | $69,198 |
| 5 | Illinois | 66 | $51,722 |
| 6 | Ohio | 61 | $60,843 |
| 7 | Texas | 51 | $51,546 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 50 | $50,855 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 49 | $48,644 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 46 | $44,229 |
| 11 | New York | 43 | $64,206 |
| 12 | Michigan | 32 | $62,361 |
| 13 | Missouri | 32 | $60,272 |
| 14 | Indiana | 32 | $57,445 |
| 15 | Maryland | 30 | $67,292 |
| 16 | Virginia | 29 | $65,063 |
| 17 | Connecticut | 29 | $58,732 |
| 18 | Florida | 27 | $36,605 |
| 19 | Utah | 26 | $55,484 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 25 | $63,638 |
| 21 | Washington | 25 | $65,995 |
| 22 | Georgia | 25 | $52,417 |
| 23 | Colorado | 18 | $53,178 |
| 24 | Alabama | 17 | $49,274 |
| 25 | Delaware | 16 | $82,211 |
| 26 | South Carolina | 16 | $56,560 |
| 27 | Arizona | 14 | $51,688 |
| 28 | Kentucky | 12 | $56,354 |
| 29 | Oregon | 12 | $47,799 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 11 | $62,909 |
| 31 | Kansas | 11 | $54,222 |
| 32 | Maine | 11 | $51,514 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 11 | $45,708 |
| 34 | Nebraska | 10 | $44,584 |
| 35 | Iowa | 9 | $55,576 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 7 | $70,714 |
| 37 | Montana | 4 | $51,485 |
| 38 | Louisiana | 3 | $52,252 |
| 39 | North Dakota | 3 | $48,422 |
| 40 | Vermont | 2 | $79,655 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 2 | $65,414 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 2 | $60,249 |
| 43 | New Mexico | 2 | $56,548 |
| 44 | Hawaii | 2 | $53,508 |
| 45 | Mississippi | 2 | $49,154 |
| 46 | Nevada | 1 | $49,240 |
| 47 | Idaho | 0 | $51,086 |
| 48 | Alaska | 0 | $44,566 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 0 | $39,384 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 0 | $37,537 |
Top Colleges for Bench Chemists
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
Top Skills For a Bench Chemist
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.4% of bench chemists listed analytical methods on their resume, but soft skills such as math skills and organizational skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Bench Chemist Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Bench Chemist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Bench Chemist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Bench Chemist Demographics
Bench Chemist Gender Distribution
Male
58%
Female
42%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among bench chemists, 41.8% of them are women, while 58.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among bench chemists is White, which makes up 59.8% of all bench chemists.
- The most common foreign language among bench chemists is Spanish at 60.0%.
Online Courses For Bench Chemist That You May Like
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1. Sample-based Learning Methods
In this course, you will learn about several algorithms that can learn near optimal policies based on trial and error interaction with the environment---learning from the agent’s own experience. Learning from actual experience is striking because it requires no prior knowledge of the environment’s dynamics, yet can still attain optimal behavior. We will cover intuitively simple but powerful Monte Carlo methods, and temporal difference learning methods including Q-learning. We will wrap up this...
See More on Coursera2. Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy
The course introduces the three key spectroscopic methods used by chemists and biochemists to analyse the molecular and electronic structure of atoms and molecules. These are UV/Visible , Infra-red (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The content is presented using short focussed and interactive screencast presentations accompanied by formative quizzes to probe understanding of the key concepts presented. Numerous exercises are provided to facilitate mastery of each topic...
See More on Coursera3. Introduction to High-Throughput Materials Development
This course is an introduction to high-throughput experimental methods that accelerate the discovery and development of new materials. It is well recognized that the discovery of new materials is the key to solving many technological problems faced by industry and society. These problems include energy production and utilization, carbon capture, tissue engineering, and sustainable materials production, among many others. This course will introduce the learner to a remarkable new approach to...
See More on CourseraJob type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
How Do Bench Chemist Rate Their Jobs?
Top Bench Chemist Employers
Most Common Employers For Bench Chemist
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Power & Light | $96,644 | $46.46 | 1 |
| 2 | Bayer | $93,281 | $44.85 | 1 |
| 3 | Pfizer | $87,902 | $42.26 | 1 |
| 4 | Quaker Houghton | $86,746 | $41.70 | 1 |
| 5 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $80,825 | $38.86 | 1 |
| 6 | Formosa Plastics | $65,811 | $31.64 | 1 |
| 7 | Union Carbide | $65,570 | $31.52 | 1 |
| 8 | Mayo Clinic | $65,250 | $31.37 | 1 |
| 9 | Abbott | $65,123 | $31.31 | 2 |
| 10 | Flavor & Fragrance Specialties | $64,828 | $31.17 | 1 |