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Job outlook for control chemists in the United States
Control chemist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected control chemist job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 5,700 new jobs for control chemists are projected over the next decade.
Control chemist salaries have increased 8% for control chemists in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,286 control chemists currently employed in the United States.
There are 33,070 active control chemist job openings in the US.
The average control chemist salary is $57,283.
Are control chemist jobs in demand?
Control chemist job and salary trends over time
Control chemist jobs over time
Control chemist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,286 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 9,555 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,623 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,742 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 9,724 | 0.00% |
Average control chemist salary over time
Control chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $57,283 | $27.54 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $56,077 | $26.96 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $55,542 | $26.70 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $53,989 | $25.96 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $53,267 | $25.61 | +3.5% |
Control chemist jobs by state
Most common states for control chemists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 696 | 10% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 127 | 9% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 59 | 9% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 72 | 7% |
| 5 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 611 | 6% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 504 | 6% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 392 | 6% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 342 | 6% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 178 | 6% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 598 | 5% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 342 | 5% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 299 | 5% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 282 | 5% |
| 14 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 245 | 5% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 235 | 5% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 169 | 5% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 149 | 5% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 30 | 5% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 400 | 4% |
| 20 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 276 | 4% |
Control Chemist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of control chemist experts
North Carolina State University
Northern Kentucky University
Southwestern College
College of Idaho
SUNY at Albany
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Meredith College
Boston College
Saint Joseph’s University
Boise State University
Harding University
Methodist University
Brandeis University
High Point University
Georgia College and State University
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
John Richardson: Skills? Well, both hard and soft... Obviously, you will need to have the basic lab and knowledge skills that would be expected of a competent chemistry graduate. Yes, your new employer will spend time training you in the specific skills that pertain to your new job, but basic knowledge and skill sets (e.g., pipetting, calculating dilution factors, having baseline knowledge of common instrumentation) will be expected. As for soft skills, be friendly, cooperative, and curious. Extend these character traits to both your peers and supervisors. Other useful skills that my former students mention would be having some basic knowledge of business and perhaps coding.
What will help Control Chemists increase their earning potential?
Lucian Lucia: THIS IS A VERY LOADED QUESTION! CHEMISTS RECOGNIZE HOW IMPERATIVE IT REMAINS FOR CHANGING THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, YET, WE INTENSELY FEEL AND FACE THE BURDEN OF ITS IMAGE AS A POLLUTING FORCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD. IN MANY WAYS, WE HAVE BROUGHT THE BURDEN ON OURSELVES BY NOT RECOGNIZING AND EMBRACING THE POTENTIAL OF GREEN CHEMISTRY AS A FORCE FOR GOOD AND CHANGE. AS WITH ANY TECHNOLOGY, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, BUT THE COMMUNITY OF CHEMISTRY HAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY PROVIDED A COGENT ARGUMENT FOR WHY IT SHOULD BE PURSUED BY MANY MORE STUDENTS. TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, IT HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MANY OTHER DISCIPLINES WHO DIP THEIR FEET IN IT BECAUSE IT IS SO ESSENTIAL TO MANY OF THE CHALLENGES WE ENUMERATED ABOVE. WE ARE A NOBLE PROFESSON, LIKE LAW OR MEDICINE, BUT SHROUDED IN MYSTERY BECAUSE WE DO NOT TEND TO ENGAGE IN ARGUMENTS OVERCOMING THE POLEMICS WE FACE IN SOCIETY. CHEMISTRY CAN DO A LOT OF GOOD, BUT WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR SCIENCE TO FOCUS ON ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND PROCLAIM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
What Control Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Isabelle Lagadic Ph.D.: I’ve met employers asking me if I could teach my students basic skills like “being on time”, “writing a proper email”, “clearly and carefully documenting their work”, “using critical thinking to stop a recording or an experiment when it is obvious that it is not working”. Those very basic skills that everyone takes for granted in addition of basic technical skills are going to become the most prevalent in the coming years. What’s scary is the collision between the inevitable advancement of Ai in this field and this lack of basic skills. It is difficult to train people on tomorrow’s skills if they don’t already master today’s skills.
What will help Control Chemists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Daniel King: This is also going to vary dramatically based on the type of chemistry that someone does. Many people like understanding and/or discovering what is going on at a fundamental level, and chemistry provides that opportunity. While many chemists like working in a lab, some chemists do not like lab work, due to the strong smells, the potential health hazards, and/or the repetitiveness of some of the work. Many chemists like the opportunity to learn something new on a regular basis. Some chemists like the pay, which is often good relative to some other professions. The diversity of career paths is popular among chemists. Chemists can work at traditional chemical companies making new chemicals; they can work at pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs; they can work with materials, such as printing and building materials; they can work at cosmetics companies or in the food industry; they can work to understand the environment and/or to solve environmental problems. Many chemistry students might dislike the focus on math or the heavy workload, although this is probably less of an issue for professional chemists, as someone who has become a professional chemist has hopefully chosen a subdiscipline that aligns with their interests.
What Control Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Hecht Ph.D.: Not sure- with a solid chemistry bkg and training, graduates should be equipped to learn and adapt as needed. Soft skills are VERY important and need to be developed.
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat will help Control Chemists increase their earning potential?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: Try to develop some business skills on product marketing and sales. Try to apply your scientific and engineering skills to business and become an all-around player.
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. Analytical skills and communication skills will become more important since they are harder to be replaced by AI. 2. If interested, try to learn some information on AI and machine learning, which will be used more in chemistry in the near future on design and synthesis of new molecules/materials, environmental chemistry, green chemistry, and chemistry education.
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
Bonnie Cantrell: Chemistry is the backbone to most protocols for the material, medical, and biological sciences.
Without chemistry, we would not know many of the things we know today. It will always be relevant in
helping change the scientific world as we know it. The advancements in science technology alone makes
chemistry today more exciting than ever. Just with balances from 1980's to now, we went from only
being able to weigh with counter balance weights to having a digital scale read accurately to 0.001
milligrams. Chemistry used to be more theoretical and only explainable from what we could make react
together. Now we have technology that can visualize the chemical composition and structure allowing
for us to create solutions to problems we could only dream of before. Whether you are wanting danger,
to save lives, or to help make this planet a better place to live, being a chemist can help you fuel your
passions.
What will help Control Chemists increase their earning potential?
Bonnie Cantrell: When a chemist enters the job field, there is three main options for them: academia,
government, or industry. In academia, there are two types of careers: lecturers and researchers. A
lecturer position usually teaches the introductory level classes and one or two advanced level courses. A
majority of their days revolve around creating course content, setting up teaching laboratories,
mentoring students, and grading. Research professors typically teach the upper level courses in their
research specialty, but overall teach less courses than a lecturer to allow time for research. A majority of
a researcher's days include the same tasks as the lecturer, but they also work on writing grants to
continue to fund their research and edit manuscripts for journal publication of their research. Both
positions are also required to participate on committees that create the structure for the school's future
directions. Faculty entering academia all work towards becoming tenured. Those that have made it,
have job security and more confidence in their jobs.
Entry government positions and most of industry for a chemist would be a lot more directly
involved with laboratory work. The laboratory work you do though is almost always dictated by your
employer. This means you don't get to study what you are interested in, but you can focus more on the
chemistry as you don't have to teach and constantly apply for grants. Usually advancement in these
types of careers changes your day to day into more regulation and management responsibilities and less
hands-on involvement with chemicals.
Alan Chen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Chemistry & the RNA Institute, University at AlbanySUNY at Albany
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: For entry-level chemistry jobs, by far the best preparation you can get is to do as much hands-on lab research as you can during your undergraduate training. This includes summer REU programs, mentored thesis research, volunteering in labs, summer internships, co-ops, etc. Hiring managers universally want to see not only what skills/assays/instruments you are familiar with, but also that you have real-world, problem solving experience that goes beyond the classroom and textbooks.
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Control Chemists?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: As I mentioned in question 1, training/experience on various instruments is the most important for industry/research jobs. For teaching positions, experience with different pedagogical/education techniques will be helpful for a potential candidate.
What skills will help Control Chemists earn the most?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: Communication, original thinking, as well as hard skills (training on instruments).
Brian Mendenhall
Associate Director and Career CoachWake Forest University
Office of Personal and Career Development
What skills stand out on Control Chemist resumes?
Brian Mendenhall: Two things that stand out for me, regardless of whether the person is seeking employment in research or industry, are data analysis (Excel, Python, R) and presentation skills. Research specific skills would also include experimental design and specific relevant laboratory techniques & equipment experience.
What soft skills should all Control Chemists possess?
Brian Mendenhall: In the past, the most important attributes have been leadership and problem-solving skills. If the pandemic has taught us anything, the most important attribute is the ability to work with others and get along in multiple virtual and in-person environments. The rest seem elementary and are all dependent on each other. To work well on a team, you need to problem-solve, both on the topic and on how to share information. To solve problems, you need to be analytical and quantitative. Certainly, to do this well, you need to communicate across diverse audiences and levels of understanding. The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys employers on these priorities and updates the results frequently. (see below for your reference)
Ability to work in a team 81.0%
Problem-solving skills 79.0%
Analytical/quantitative skills 76.1%
Communication skills (verbal) 73.2%
Communication skills (written)
https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-key-attributes-employers-seek-on-college-graduates-resumes/
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.
Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair in Biological Chemistry, Associate Chair of ChemistryUniversity of Utah
Department Of Chemistry
What skills stand out on Control Chemist resumes?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The skills that stand out are research experience, characterization instrumentation experience, and more recently, data science experience and coding experience, as machine learning and AI become more and more important in chemistry.
What soft skills should all Control Chemists possess?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important soft skills are communication and people management skills. It is critical to be strong in both oral and written communication.
Alexandra (Sasha) Ormond Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Director of Dual Degree EngineeringMeredith College
Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Geoscience
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
Alexandra (Sasha) Ormond Ph.D.: Chemistry graduates should be open minded, and ready to absorb and use information. They should be confident in themselves, and since they're still learning, they should not hesitate to ask for help and advice. If students haven't learned how to fail, they should go into a career ready for potential failures, and they will need to be ready to handle failures and move on.
What Control Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexandra (Sasha) Ormond Ph.D.: Having hands-on experience through research, internships, and working with instruments can make a candidate more attractive to employers. Pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. degree can also lead to a higher starting salary, although the job opportunities may differ based on the level of education.
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.
Margaret A & Thomas A Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of Chemistry DepartmentBoston College
Chemistry Department
What soft skills should all Control Chemists possess?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Problem-solving skills. When presented with a problem, knowing where to go to find information to solve it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Control Chemists?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Chemistry is a diverse field. As a foundational discipline, it enables several sub-fields and supports emerging new fields. As one example, our graduates become experts in medical research, health care, and scientists and engineers in many other fields. Depending on the different career goals, what is important can be drastically different. Generally speaking, doing bench work (either in the lab or on a computer) should be a good skill to have at graduation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Control Chemists?
Dr. Brian Forster Ph.D.: For a short while, I believe there may be. In science for example, having lab courses online, students lose the "hands-on" skills they would normally learn in class (things that an online class cannot properly teach). Not all online simulations can recreate the same experience as being in the lab, performing the technique. This could potentially mean that recent graduates applying for laboratory job positions may need to either take a refresher course or may need additional time in training to make sure they have a good handle on the required lab technical skills. With schools bringing more classes back into the classroom or lab, I expect that this will not be the future norm.
What's a good job out of college for Control Chemists?
Dr. Brian Forster Ph.D.: Anything in your field. Even if it is not the ideal job or the "dream" job, a job that could potentially open doors or bring your closer to that ideal/dream job is one that graduating students should investigate seriously.
Adam Colson Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorBoise State University
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Control Chemists?
Adam Colson Ph.D.: I believe that the impact of the pandemic will manifest itself in several ways, the most obvious being the anemic job market associated with economic contraction in certain industrial sectors. Equally concerning, albeit less obvious, are the opportunity losses experienced by students during the pandemic. The technical skills of chemistry and related sciences are best learned by hands-on experience, but the pandemic has impacted experiential learning at all levels, from first-year general chemistry labs to graduate-level thesis work. Students who are requested to submit research or capstone portfolios as part of their applications for employment or admission to graduate school could find that their applications are less competitive than those of their peers who have not experienced pandemic-related disruptions.
What Control Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dennis Province Ph.D.: In the field of science, it is always a good idea to have all the skills that you can get. If you want to work in a microbiology lab, you should think about learning some chemistry or statistics. Important work never stays in one tiny corner of science; it bridges many fields and so should your skill set. People skills are also very important. Can you talk to people and communicate and listen to new ideas?
A gap year usually implies finding work as a research technician before applying to graduate or professional school. If this is the case, one question that employers and graduate programs have about their applicants are about their fitness: can they withstand the rigor at the next level? A recent graduate needs to show evidence that they are responsible and timely. The gap year should be filled with activities that show this.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Control Chemist job market given the pandemic?
Dennis Province Ph.D.: Trends indicate that the job market is definitely going digital. Virtual interviews and job fairs are much more common now.
What general advice would you give to a Control Chemist?
Dennis Province Ph.D.: You never know where you will end up later in life and what skills you will need in the future. Open your mind and become a lifelong learner. Be a student of life and learn from others at every step of the journey. Employers are always looking for workers that show initiative. Decide where you want to work and what you think you might want to do and have the courage to contact someone, and let them know! Most jobs or opportunities are found and decided with an informal conversation. Employers want the best people and those tend to be type that take the initiative.
Stephanie Hooper Marosek Ph.D.
Chair, Associate ProfessorMethodist University
Department of Chemistry and Physical Science
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Control Chemists to find work opportunities?
Stephanie Hooper Marosek Ph.D.: Places that are associated with research and development, pharmaceutical or biotech companies, or large research universities are likely to have positions available for laboratory analysts. For example, our graduates are fortunate that the Research Triangle Park in the Raleigh/Durham area is close by. There are many R&D, biotech, pharmaceutical, or similar types of labs in the surrounding areas that are often looking for entry-level chemists. If a graduate is not limited by geography, then they will be able to find employment as a chemist within a few months of graduation.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Control Chemist job market given the pandemic?
Stephanie Hooper Marosek Ph.D.: I think the biggest trends will be more of a willingness for graduates to expand their geographic areas in which they are searching for jobs. For chemistry graduates, there will always be a job in a lab somewhere, but you must be willing to move for it. The less a graduate is limited by location, the higher their chances of employment. Another likely trend will be an increase in graduate school applications. With a decrease in certain job markets, graduates will return to higher education in pursuit of a master's or Ph.D. to improve their resume or C.V. Many chemistry graduate programs offer tuition remission and teaching stipends/assistantships, so this is a very viable option for recent graduates who are struggling to find employment as a chemist.
What skills stand out on Control Chemist resumes?
Stephanie Hooper Marosek Ph.D.: Skills that make recent chemistry graduates stand out are research experience, internships, part-time work in labs, and hands-on familiarity with certain types of preparation, techniques, and analysis equipment. Most jobs in the field of chemistry are for analysts, so the ability to understand and perform certain methods and analyze/interpret data is a valuable skill.
What experience really stands out on Control Chemist resumes?
Dwight Peavey Ph.D.: Hands-on experience through an internship(s) and summer employment/research in the environment field puts that student ahead of others. Many students receive job offers from firms at which they have been employed or interned.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Control Chemists?
Dwight Peavey Ph.D.: No --- once a vaccine is widely available, a new "normal" will be established. A turnover in older employees will give way for the "new generation" of environmental caretakers. Working remotely, alone and as part of a team, will be part of the "new normal."
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and ChairHigh Point University
Department of Chemistry
What type of skills will young Control Chemists need?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: Students always need foundational technical skills. In addition to skills specific to chemistry and biochemistry, strong communication and interpersonal skills such as writing, speaking, and collaboration are vital, as are quantitative reasoning skills such as data analytics, statistical analysis, and programming.
What experience really stands out on Control Chemist resumes?
Peter Rosado: A while ago, I was a manager in cosmetics manufacturing before I became a professor and was in charge of hiring some new personnel, so I can attest that hiring managers are looking for candidates that are well rounded. That meaning is not just content knowledgeable, but candidates who can hold a conversation and interact with customers, clients, and peers. Knowledge about the world is also a plus.
Our company would do business in many countries and even national companies. Every time I would see a resume from a candidate with these qualities, I would pay close attention to it. Being able to interact with others, have leadership skills, and follow-through is a big positive. Problem-solving skills are hopefully acquired by obtaining a chemistry degree, but these other soft skills are developed by being involved in situations outside of the classroom/lab.
I recommend aspiring candidates to be involved in local organizations that pertain to their fields, maybe hold officer positions, interact with the public, etc. I encourage them to be involved in their field of study rather than spectating it.
What Control Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Rosado: I tell students to call their "gap" year more of a "Developmental" year. If a graduate desires to have such a year, they should focus on their whole goal, which means developing their professionalism and having other experiences. For example, travel to another country, learn a new language, intern at a company outside of the U.S., get involved further in the field of study. What stands out in candidates is how they made use of their time, skills that they acquired, and how they could weave them into the position they are applying for. That the candidate has had experiences outside of their comfort zone tells me as an employer that they are flexible and can adapt to new and unpredictable situations.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Control Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Peter Rosado: Right now, with COVID-19, I feel that the field of medicinal chemistry/biotechnology is going to see a boom. Materials science is also on the rise with alternative energies and new restorative therapies. The area of chemistry is not a more extended purist and more integrated/interdisciplinary. No longer can you call yourself an "inorganic chemist" or an "analytical chemist"? Graduates should be aware that flexibility and eagerness to learn new things is critical here. These are the skills obtained from a college degree, which is not the only subject matter. But the ability to think through and solve problems, be flexible, adaptable, etc.