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What is a product development chemist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted expert
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a product development chemist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $35.14 an hour? That's $73,084 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 5,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a product development chemist?

Kevin Belfield Ph.D.Kevin Belfield Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Dean, College of Science and Liberal Arts Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science Becton Dickinson Research Professor Fellow of the ACS and AAAS, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Keep learning, and stay curious. New information and technologies are being generated at an unprecedented rate. A grad's new degree is a great foundation. It's essential to continue learning, both in your field and in others. Suppose you have a particular interest, unrelated to your degree (perhaps it's robotics, music, economics, web design, history, or science fiction, for example). It's not a bad idea to dedicate some time each week reading in or pursuing this area, as one never knows when there may be a convergence of your interests that can lead to an unexpected professional opportunity.
ScoreProduct Development ChemistUS Average
Salary
5.7

Avg. Salary $73,084

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%

Asian 18.08%

Black or African American 8.17%

Hispanic or Latino 9.52%

Unknown 4.64%

White 59.34%

Gender

female 38.39%

male 61.61%

Age - 40
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40
Stress level
5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Product development chemist career paths

Key steps to become a product development chemist

  1. Explore product development chemist education requirements

    Most common product development chemist degrees

    Bachelor's

    80.7 %

    Master's

    13.6 %

    Doctorate

    2.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific product development chemist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Lab Equipment10.22%
    Product Development8.22%
    Analytical Methods7.42%
    HPLC5.18%
    QC4.81%
  3. Complete relevant product development chemist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product development chemists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a product development chemist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product development chemist resumes.
  4. Research product development chemist duties and responsibilities

    • Lead a collaboration with another biotechnology company to design ELISAs for the purpose of evaluating novel reagents.
    • Execute HPLC method development and method validation to provide data toward supporting specification, and testing of reference materials.
    • Write and review work instructions and maintain ISO paperwork.
    • Develop and implement CAPA as an outcome of investigations.
  5. Prepare your product development chemist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product development chemist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a product development chemist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable product development chemist resume templates

    Build a professional product development chemist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your product development chemist resume.
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
    Product Development Chemist Resume
  6. Apply for product development chemist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a product development chemist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first product development chemist job

Zippi

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Average product development chemist salary

The average product development chemist salary in the United States is $73,084 per year or $35 per hour. Product development chemist salaries range between $51,000 and $103,000 per year.

Average product development chemist salary
$73,084 Yearly
$35.14 hourly

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How do product development chemists rate their job?

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Product development chemist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

A new avenue to explore regarding cosmatics and providing expertise to enhance this science to a new frontier


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Cons

waking up early


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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