What does an organic chemist do?
An organic chemist studies the properties of chemicals with carbon. This type of chemistry is vital for industries concerning products and services related to living organisms, such as plants, animals, and people. Pharmaceuticals, the food industry, and agriculture all require an organic chemist's skill to create and develop products suitable for living organisms. The organic chemist's role is to help in the development phase of a product, determine its effects on biological life, and note all side-effects: many companies, especially those concerned in medicine and food production.
Organic chemist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real organic chemist resumes:
- Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
- Ensure compounds are of the highest possible purity using LCMS, NMR spectroscopy, GC, and HPLC.
- Perform organic analysis for semi-volatile and acid-base-neutrals using GCMS, HPLC, GCFID, GCNPD, GCECD and IR.
- Perform GC analyses for gas, diesel, BTEX and PCB analyses in Washington and remote sites of Alaska.
- Facilitate routine analyses in organic analytic chemistry - distillation, extraction, separation, crystallization, and purification.
- Utilize 1H-NMR , 13C-NMR, GC/MS, HPLC, MALDI-TOF, ChemDraw, and ChemWindow.
- Participate on laboratory investigations in order to determine root cause, and CAPA.
- Upload and record data accurately to the books and the database (LIMS system).
- Utilize LIMS to create work orders, inquire about sample status, and report results.
- Perform the analyses for the determination of iodine and fatty acids in food matrices by means of GC.
- Gain significant knowledge of EPA methods, specifically SW-846 series, and have become familiar with ISO standards.
- Perform extraction, clean up, and analysis on several matrices for organic compounds following SW-846 and CLP guidelines.
- Serve as process chemistry project leader for development programs and participate as key member on cross-functional CMC development teams.
- General: design, synthesis, purification, and spectroscopy (NMR, IR) of DNA-binding compounds (primarily).
- Perform semivolatile analyses by GCMS.
Organic chemist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Organic Chemists are proficient in NMR, Method Development, and HPLC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Organic Chemists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- NMR, 8%
Ensured compounds were of the highest possible purity using LCMS, NMR spectroscopy, GC, and HPLC.
- Method Development, 8%
Performed all instrument maintenance and method development.
- HPLC, 7%
Performed organic analysis for semi-volatile and acid-base-neutrals using GCMS, HPLC, GCFID, GCNPD, GCECD and IR.
- Organic Synthesis, 7%
Determined the quality of the product generated through the organic synthesis by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
- Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Inspect and maintain laboratory equipment to ensure safety and accuracy of results.
- Sample Preparation, 5%
Performed sample preparation using wet chemistry, extraction, dilution and dissolution methods.
Most organic chemists use their skills in "nmr," "method development," and "hplc" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential organic chemist responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an organic chemist to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what organic chemists do because "chemists and materials scientists need to evaluate the results of experiments to ensure accuracy in their research." Additionally, an organic chemist resume shows how organic chemists use analytical skills: "performed wet chemistry analysis and physical characterization of client samples. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling organic chemist duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "chemists and materials scientists must be able to convey information clearly in reports and presentations for both technical and nontechnical audiences." According to an organic chemist resume, here's how organic chemists can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "advance technical reporting skills for effective communication and presentation of results and conclusions. "
Math skills. This is an important skill for organic chemists to perform their duties. For an example of how organic chemist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "chemists and materials scientists regularly use calculus, algebra, statistics, and other math for calculations." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an organic chemist: "drug matrix formulation * hplc: assay and dissolution testing * materials management university employment math tutor, organic synthesis".
Organizational skills. organic chemist responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "chemists and materials scientists must document processes carefully when conducting experiments, tracking outcomes, and analyzing results." This resume example shows what organic chemists do with organizational skills on a typical day: "well versed in implementing standard operating procedures, organizational policies, and analytical methodologies accurately and consistently. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for an organic chemist to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what organic chemists relies on this skill, since "chemists’ and materials scientists’ work involves posing questions during research and finding answers through results." How this skill relates to organic chemist duties can be seen in an example from an organic chemist resume snippet: "followed epa guidelines for analyzing and meticulously reporting samples creatively resolved and fixed problems such as matrix issues. "
Time-management skills. Another skill commonly found on organic chemist job descriptions is "time-management skills." It can come up quite often in organic chemist duties, since "chemists and materials scientists usually need to meet deadlines and must be able to prioritize tasks while maintaining quality." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day organic chemist responsibilities: "reduced sample preparation time by 33% by developing a microwave digestion method for samples of various matrices. "
The three companies that hire the most organic chemists are:
- DuPont5 organic chemists jobs
- Thermo Fisher Scientific2 organic chemists jobs
- ALS, LLC2 organic chemists jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable organic chemist resume templates
Build a professional organic chemist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your organic chemist resume.
Compare different organic chemists
Organic chemist vs. Postdoctoral scholar
A Postdoctoral Scholar is responsible for supporting an educational research group to conduct studies and gather relevant data to support study claims and scientific evidence. They review initial findings, perform field investigations, and interview the target respondents for data and statistical analysis. They also coordinate with the whole team for efficient research methods, ensuring adherence to budget limitations and required timetables. A Postdoctoral Scholar must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to document reports and discuss results with the research team.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between organic chemists and postdoctoral scholar. For instance, organic chemist responsibilities require skills such as "method development," "organic synthesis," "laboratory equipment," and "sample preparation." Whereas a postdoctoral scholar is skilled in "chemistry," "python," "patients," and "data analysis." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Postdoctoral scholars really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $72,557. Comparatively, organic chemists tend to make the most money in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $87,519.postdoctoral scholars tend to reach higher levels of education than organic chemists. In fact, postdoctoral scholars are 8.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 17.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Organic chemist vs. Quality control associate
In a manufacturing setting, a quality control associate is in charge of conducting various tests to ensure that the products meet the company's standard criteria. Their responsibilities revolve around inspecting the workforce and workload involved in the production process, identifying errors or inconsistencies, recommending solutions and alterations, and maintaining records and documentation. Furthermore, as a quality control associate, it is essential to coordinate with department staff and produce progress reports, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, organic chemist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "nmr," "organic synthesis," "sample preparation," and "ms." Meanwhile, a quality control associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "qc," "qc testing," "test methods," and "environmental monitoring." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Quality control associates earn a lower average salary than organic chemists. But quality control associates earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $54,631. Additionally, organic chemists earn the highest salaries in the pharmaceutical with average pay of $87,519 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Quality control associates tend to reach lower levels of education than organic chemists. In fact, they're 5.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 17.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for organic chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Organic chemist vs. Research and development scientist
A research and development scientist specializes in conducting scientific studies and experiments to develop new products and technologies. They usually work at laboratories where they are in charge of conducting research and assessments, coming up with new ideas, performing tests, streamlining product requirements and guidelines, collaborating with fellow experts, utilizing previous studies and advanced software, and maintaining records of all procedures. Additionally, as a research and development scientist, it is essential to conduct reviews and assessments to ensure products adhere to safety standards and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, organic chemists are more likely to have skills like "organic synthesis," "sample preparation," "ms," and "uv-vis." But a research and development scientist is more likely to have skills like "patients," "data analysis," "python," and "technical support."
Research and development scientists make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $91,180. On the other hand, organic chemists are paid the highest salary in the pharmaceutical industry, with average annual pay of $87,519.research and development scientists typically earn similar educational levels compared to organic chemists. Specifically, they're 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Organic chemist vs. 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. They must also conduct inspections to ensure the facility's compliance with state laws and standards. Furthermore, a quality control coordinator must monitor the progress of all operations, resolving issues promptly and efficiently while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Types of organic chemist
Updated January 8, 2025
