How to hire a Chemist

How to hire a chemist, step by step

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

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

What does a Chemist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The chemist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A chemist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of chemists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Chemist	Description	Hourly Rate
   Chemist	Chemists 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.	$22-43
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29
   Quality Control Coordinator	A 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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Chemistry
   • Lab Equipment
   • Test Results
   • Product Development
   • Method Development
   • HPLC
   • Analytical Methods
   • GMP
   • R
   • GC
   • Ms
   • Sample Preparation
   • UV/Vis
   • Lims

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead QA, engineering, and operations training events.
   • Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
   • Perform analysis of drug substance and drug product using HPLC, GC, dissolution and UV/VIS.
   • Utilize IR, AA, UV, HPLC and other chemical analysis equipment to assess product quality.
   • Prepare solutions to run on HPLC, ICP and AA instruments.
   • Involve in operation and preventative maintenance of LC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC instrumentation.

   More Chemist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your chemist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A chemist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, chemists' average salary in florida is 51% less than in delaware.
   • Seniority. Entry-level chemists earn 49% less than senior-level chemists.
   • Certifications. A chemist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a chemist's salary.

   Average chemist salary

   $64,961yearly

   $31.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chemist salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2025

   Average chemist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	Delaware	$91,315	$44
   2	Massachusetts	$81,188	$39
   3	Maryland	$75,468	$36
   4	New Jersey	$73,927	$36
   5	California	$65,822	$32
   6	New York	$64,440	$31
   7	Michigan	$63,794	$31
   8	Texas	$63,255	$30
   9	Ohio	$63,088	$30
   10	Georgia	$62,314	$30
   11	Indiana	$60,203	$29
   12	Pennsylvania	$57,843	$28
   13	Illinois	$56,521	$27
   14	Missouri	$54,891	$26
   15	Utah	$53,219	$26
   16	Florida	$44,973	$22

   Average chemist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Meta	$118,269	$56.86	3
   2	Applied Materials	$106,293	$51.10
   3	Arkema	$104,431	$50.21	7
   4	Genentech	$104,201	$50.10	5
   5	Stryker	$102,881	$49.46	7
   6	The Dow Chemical Company	$102,841	$49.44	21
   7	Nalco Holding Company	$102,560	$49.31	1
   8	Waters	$100,779	$48.45
   9	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$100,658	$48.39
   10	Stepan	$100,280	$48.21	1
   11	Argonne National Laboratory	$99,614	$47.89	1
   12	Agilent Technologies	$99,400	$47.79	6
   13	Aramco Services Company	$99,269	$47.73
   14	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$99,192	$47.69	2
   15	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$99,125	$47.66	2
   16	Celanese	$99,109	$47.65	2
   17	Apple	$99,007	$47.60	17
   18	OSI Systems	$98,456	$47.33
   19	Battelle	$98,201	$47.21	6
   20	Entegris	$97,789	$47.01	8

4. Writing a Chemist Job Description

   A 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 a chemist job description:

   Chemist job description example

   Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
   Job Title: Technician 1 Laboratory Grade Min: 1 Grade Max: 6 Career Level: Operator/Associate 1
   
   MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE Summarize the main purpose of the role. Entry para-professional individual contributor representing the most common entry point for this career stream. Works under direct supervision within the Laboratory Technician sub-function.
   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES • As the Entry para-professional in the Laboratory Technician Sub-Function, possesses basic knowledge in performing a variety of technical procedures such as preparing routine solutions and reagents and performing routine reactions. • Makes and records observations. • Performs simple calculations. • Collects and prepares data for evaluation. • Conducts laboratory support functions such as stocking and distributing supplies and equipment, arranging and dismantling apparatus, and collecting, washing, and storing glassware. • Performs technical and record keeping duties in conformance with company and regulatory policies and standards to meet quality and accuracy requirements. • May analyze compounds and manage corporate compound collection. • Performs technical procedures in one or more of the following areas: Production, Research and Development, Quality Control/Assurance, and/or Compliance/Environmental.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   Education Education Level Major/Field of Study Or Education Level Technical Diploma (± 12 years) ☐
   Experience/Background Experience Experience Details No Experience
   Licenses and Certifications License/Certification
   Language Proficiency Language Proficiency
   Note: This job description is not to be considered an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements and does not limit the assignment of additional duties for this role.
   
   SALARY GRADE BY COUNTRY Parent Grade Range: * N/A for Parent Job*
   Child Job Salary Grade by Country Country Grade Brazil 05 Brazil 06 Peru 01 Puerto Rico 05 Puerto Rico 06 United States of America 02 United States of America 03 United States of America 05 United States of America 06
   View Job Description

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right chemist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with chemists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit chemists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your chemist job on Zippia to find and recruit chemist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting chemists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 chemist

   Once you've decided on a perfect chemist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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