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Job outlook for medicinal chemists in the United States
Are medicinal chemist jobs in demand?
Medicinal chemist job and salary trends over time
Medicinal chemist jobs over time
Medicinal chemist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 209 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 215 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 217 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 219 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 219 | 0.00% |
Average medicinal chemist salary over time
Medicinal chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,248 | $31.37 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $63,874 | $30.71 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $63,265 | $30.42 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $61,496 | $29.57 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $60,674 | $29.17 | +3.5% |
Medicinal chemist jobs by state
Most common states for medicinal chemists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 919 | 13% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 48 | 7% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 358 | 6% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 54 | 6% |
| 5 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,876 | 5% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 337 | 5% |
| 7 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 363 | 4% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 221 | 4% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 148 | 4% |
| 10 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 136 | 4% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 54 | 4% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 441 | 3% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 330 | 3% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 275 | 3% |
| 15 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 174 | 3% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 162 | 3% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 103 | 3% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 59 | 3% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 33 | 3% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 22 | 3% |
Most common cities for medicinal chemists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco | 2 | 3% | $74,767 |
| 2 | Newton | 1 | 1% | $73,154 |
| 3 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $73,090 |
Medicinal Chemist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of medicinal chemist experts
University of Illinois at Springfield
College of Idaho
SUNY at Albany
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Meredith College
Boston College
University of Minnesota, Morris
High Point University
Georgia College and State University
Maryville University
Cleveland Community College
Elmira College
University of the Sciences
Oral Roberts University
Norfolk State University
Ohio Dominican University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat will help Medicinal 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 Medicinal Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. A chemistry degree provides many opportunities for a wide variety of careers. Jobs can be found in big chemical or pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, small startup companies, as well as educational institutions. Sometimes, if you think outside the box, you can find other opportunities, such as some non-lab jobs (sales, technical support, consulting firms, etc.). If it is hard to find a permanent job you like, start with a temporary position, which might turn into a permanent position if your performance is excellent. 2. You do not need to match exactly what you learned in college with your job responsibilities. Be ready to apply the problem-solving skills you learned in new field/project. 3. Be curious, always eager to learn new skills/knowledge. 4. Be honest, learn from your mistakes.
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ChemistryUniversity of Illinois at Springfield
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal Chemist?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: Science professions are strong, especially in the medical and environmental fields. The traditional areas of science including chemistry, biology and environmental science will continue to be relevant. That being said, with issues related to health and climate change becoming more and more prevalent and of concern, the need to understand how these traditional areas of science interplay with each other is becoming increasingly important. A single area of science is likely not going to solve the problem alone; the disciplines must work together.
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal 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.
Alan Chen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Chemistry & the RNA Institute, University at AlbanySUNY at Albany
Chemistry
What Medicinal Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: Our most successful students start research no later than sophomore year and many opt for our 5-year combined BS/MS track. These students outcompete BS-level applicants for entry-level jobs, and start at higher salary and responsibility levels as many companies will count time in graduate school as "prior experience". The MS degree is particularly versatile as it can also be earned part-time by current employees looking to advance, and unlike the PhD does not over-qualify you for the vast majority of entry level chemist positions. MS degrees typically enable early-career chemists to move up the ranks into management or team-leader positions after a few years. They are also a possible way for recent grads who were unable to get a job due to lack of research experience in undergrad, to get that crucial research experience during their MS thesis, and possibly even upgrade-in-place to our PhD program if they are doing really well. Basically, there seems to be no drawback to getting an MS in Chemistry at a research-intensive university for the vast majority of scientific career tracks.
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Medicinal 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 Medicinal 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 Medicinal 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 Medicinal 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 Medicinal 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.
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 Medicinal 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.
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.
Margaret A & Thomas A Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of Chemistry DepartmentBoston College
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Medicinal Chemist resumes?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Skills to identify and solve problems.
What soft skills should all Medicinal 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 Medicinal 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.
What experience really stands out on Medicinal Chemist resumes?
Alyssa Pirinelli Ph.D.: Research experience as an undergraduate, even literature-based research experiences where lab-based ones are not available. Preferably at least a year, if possible, including summer research, with the presentation of their work via a poster session or talk to their peers. Getting research experience can sometimes start with a simple conversation with their faculty members or mentors and a conversation with their advisors/mentors on what field/area of research may be appropriate/applicable for the student's career plan.
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and ChairHigh Point University
Department of Chemistry
What type of skills will young Medicinal 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.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Medicinal Chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: There are several high technology hubs worldwide with promising job prospects for degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. These include the Greater Boston area, Silicon Valley, Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Austin, Texas, Southern California, Washington D.C. Metro area, New York/New Jersey Metro area, and the Seattle region.
How do you envision technology impacting Medicinal Chemists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: The rapid transition to online instruction, due to the COVID pandemic, has been a challenging adjustment for students in 2020 but could turn out to be a long-term benefit professionally. Students will be much more comfortable with online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, facilitating collaboration with colleagues around the globe. Cloud computing will be increasingly important as software for analytical instrumentation becomes cloud-enabled. Thus data analysis can be undertaken anywhere, and not just in the lab where the data is collected.
In the biochemistry field, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology will become much more widespread with the potential to impact therapeutics in the biomedical area significantly. Finally, looking a little further out than five years, quantum computing's development offers the prospect of computational modeling of too complex chemical, biological, and materials problems currently intractable with standard classical computational methods. Scientists who learn how to develop and use quantum computing to solve complex problems will be at a significant advantage in the coming decade.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Medicinal 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.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medicinal Chemists?
Anuradha Vummenthala: I don't envision the significant enduring impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on graduates looking for jobs in the Chemistry field. I do acknowledge that the current scenario appears gloomy. It has undoubtedly impacted everyone's lives socially, economically, and psychologically. But we, as humans and especially as Americans, have remarkable resilience, and we are bound to bounce back more vital than ever before.
We managed through the Great Recession and the economic crisis of 2008. The graduates may face some short-term challenges due to a hiring freeze and delayed start date on new hiring. However, the economy is slowly opening up, and opportunities will soon start pouring in. This is not going to last forever! Graduates can efficiently utilize this time to broaden their skill sets, expand their network, and explore non-traditional career paths like scientific writings, patent drafting, federal jobs, etc
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medicinal Chemists?
Lynn Monteith: The pandemic is already impacting new graduates' ability to secure jobs. It is also affecting students who are currently enrolled in college courses. Some students choose to take a year off from school with hopes of returning to campus after the pandemic is over.
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal Chemist?
Dr. Betsy Smith: I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medicinal Chemists?
Dr. Betsy Smith: I am sure the pandemic is going to have lasting effects on everything, chemistry included. I think all industries are going to continue allowing more working from home when it's appropriate. For bench chemists, that will rarely mean fully at-home because of lab work, but it might mean going in, setting up an automated reactor, and monitoring it from home while analyzing data. There will be a lot more research into coronaviruses and how to treat coronavirus infections. That seems like it would be more biological or medical, but there's a lot of chemistry involved in drugs and drug design, and a lot of overlap between chemistry and biology.
John Tomsho Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Programs in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacognosy Co-Director, Chemistry Core Facility NMR Facility Director Associate Professor of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of the Sciences
Department of of Chemistry and Biochemistry
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal Chemist?
John Tomsho Ph.D.: Keep an open mind and consider all career options available to you. Also, seriously consider temp agencies and other short-term/contract employment opportunities. Many companies will hire their permanent employees from their ranks of contract workers. These short assignments can primarily serve the purpose of a 6-12 month interview period.
Dr. William Collier Ph.D.
Professor of ChemistryOral Roberts University
Chemistry and Biology
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal Chemist?
Dr. William Collier Ph.D.: Know where you want to go, and head in that direction. Be open to a lot of different starting positions; you are young and can change at this point in your career reasonably quickly. In short, if an exciting job comes up, it is not exactly what you are looking for, but you need a job. You might be surprised to find out what you do and do not like about it. You can always change a few years down the line. Work hard, be honest, treat others right, be a team person, and leave excellent impressions of yourself. You will live happier, and be surprised at how far your reputation (for good or ill) will travel. Verbal references to your work skill, talent, and work behavior can carry more weight than a resume.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Medicinal Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Suely Black Ph.D.: We cannot predict what new technologies will emerge, so it is essential to be adaptable and comfortable with learning how to use all kinds of techniques, mostly those that connect people.
What general advice would you give to a Medicinal Chemist?
Dan Little Ph.D.: Due to the pandemic, it will likely be more complicated than usual to find a job right away in the current economic situation. Companies are probably weighing the pros and cons of remaining open at all right now, so the prospect of filling vacant positions is secondary. But don't panic! Keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. Personal connections can be the best path to unexpected career opportunities.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Medicinal Chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in chemical analytics is one area that comes to mind, as does personalized biological therapeutics. Evermore ubiquitous is the use of batteries to store energy and power devices from biosensors to automobiles, and renewable energy to provide electricity. The space for innovation in these areas for chemists is expansive, with substantial challenges to undertake. Further out on the horizon, but not too far off, the development of technologies to ensure the sustainability of our earth system and interplanetary travel will be intriguing endeavors.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medicinal Chemists?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: It depends on what is meant by the impact. The current COVID-19 pandemic affects most everyone's personal and professional lives in profound and unanticipated (mostly unwelcome) ways. Concerning the professional growth of recent graduates, the short-term impact may be substantial, yet the long-term impact, we hope, will not be as consequential. What do I mean by this? While seeing our recent graduates in the chemical sciences fare well thus far, it's reasonable to expect an attenuation of the start of recent graduate's professional career due to the severe economic disruption in so many business sectors. However, the continued societal and technological need for chemists' skills and contributions to so many critical technologies, sustainability, and human health are long-term needs and will present numerous opportunities for graduates.