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Job outlook for product development chemists in the United States
Product development chemist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected product development chemist job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 5,700 new jobs for product development chemists are projected over the next decade.
Product development chemist salaries have increased 8% for product development chemists in the last 5 years.
There are over 8,098 product development chemists currently employed in the United States.
There are 109,244 active product development chemist job openings in the US.
The average product development chemist salary is $73,084.
Are product development chemist jobs in demand?
Product development chemist job and salary trends over time
Product development chemist jobs over time
Product development chemist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,098 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,333 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,392 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 8,496 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,480 | 0.00% |
Average product development chemist salary over time
Product development chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $73,084 | $35.14 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $71,545 | $34.40 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $70,863 | $34.07 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $68,882 | $33.12 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $67,960 | $32.67 | +3.5% |
Product development chemist jobs by state
Most common states for product development chemists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 222 | 29% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 190 | 26% |
| 3 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 483 | 25% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 217 | 25% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 491 | 24% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,953 | 23% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,301 | 22% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,281 | 22% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,479 | 21% |
| 10 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 666 | 21% |
| 11 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 617 | 21% |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 612 | 20% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,132 | 19% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,077 | 19% |
| 15 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 5,025 | 18% |
| 16 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,200 | 18% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 190 | 18% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,004 | 17% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,678 | 17% |
| 20 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,036 | 15% |
Most common cities for product development chemists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison Heights | 4 | 13% | $79,268 |
| 2 | Chanhassen | 1 | 4% | $78,652 |
| 3 | Fort Dodge | 1 | 4% | $72,900 |
| 4 | Anaheim | 9 | 3% | $74,248 |
| 5 | Monrovia | 1 | 3% | $75,047 |
| 6 | Sterling Heights | 1 | 1% | $79,173 |
| 7 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $69,773 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 1 | 0% | $77,988 |
| 9 | Irvine | 1 | 0% | $73,832 |
Product Development Chemist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of product development chemist experts
Purdue University
Queens University of Charlotte
California State University - East Bay
Northern Kentucky University
University of the Pacific
Brigham Young University
Southwestern College
College of Idaho
Won Institute
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Meredith College
Boston College
Stephen F. Austin State University
Drexel University
What general advice would you give to a Product Development 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 Product Development Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John Richardson: Good general advice to someone just beginning in a new career would be to keep that work ethic up...Show up when you are supposed to and work the hours that you are contractually obligated to work. Of course, set firm boundaries as well. If you are going above and beyond, be sure that your supervisor is noticing and in your court to see that you are properly compensated or otherwise rewarded.
What general advice would you give to a Product Development Chemist?
Nikhilesh Chawla: Prioritize your education. Having a Bachelor’s is great but you will be able to do much more interesting work AND have a higher salary with a Master’s or PhD.
What Product Development Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nikhilesh Chawla: Make sure you are passionate about what you do. Great careers should not feel like a ‘job’. Try to learn as much as you can, be curious, and engaged. Networking with folks in your field and choosing 1-2 or mentors to help guide you would be good too.
Justin Moss
Assistant ProfessorQueens University of Charlotte
Chemistry
What will help Product Development Chemists increase their earning potential?
Justin Moss: The primary duties of a research chemist include designing and conducting experimental procedures, preparing solutions, using specialized equipment, data analytics software, observing safety protocols, reporting work in written documents, and communicating orally in group meetings. Work is done independently and in a team setting.
What general advice would you give to a Product Development Chemist?
Monika Sommerhalter: Know your worth and look for opportunities to grow. Set yourself professional goals, whether it is a large goal (such as getting a promotion) or smaller goals (attending a workshop to master a new skill) on an ongoing basis. Keep your resume up-to-date so that it is easier for you to apply for new job opportunities within or outside of your company.
What Product Development 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 Product Development Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: The day-to-day work heavily depends on the actual position. It might include the application of analytical or spectroscopic techniques for quality control, synthesis of molecules or materials, or simply the utilization of computers for the simulation of chemical processes.
What will help Product Development Chemists increase their earning potential?
Joseph Harrison: Chemists typically like using their problem-solving skills to advance science, but sometimes Chemists, especially in entry-level positions can be repetitive (i.e., doing the same analysis over and over again)
Dr. Jaron Hansen
Professor and ChairBrigham Young University
Chemistry
What will help Product Development Chemists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jaron Hansen: Chemists are involved in a wide range of jobs on a day-to-day basis. A chemist's day-to-day activities can vary widely depending on their specific role, industry, and field of specialization. However, here are some common tasks that chemists might engage in: Research and Experimentation, Analysis and Testing, Product Development, Quality Control, Data Analysis and Interpretation, Documentation and Reporting, Collaboration and Communication, Lab Maintenance and Safety.
What will help Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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.
Rev. Grace Song
Won Buddhist Studies Department ChairWon Institute
What soft skills should all Product Development Chemists possess?
Rev. Grace Song: -Clear communicator
-Good time management skills
-Ability to resolve conflicts
-Self-aware
-Values collaboration
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Product Development Chemist resumes?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: For industry/research positions, employers like to see that candidates have experience/training on certain instruments. HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is a common instrument that I see in a lot of job postings, so experience with that can be especially helpful to a candidate.
What soft skills should all Product Development Chemists possess?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: Communication skills are crucial, regardless of the type of position. Chemists need to be able to effectively communicate their findings, as well as communicate with their supervisors and colleagues. Additionally, chemists may be asked to train newer employees, further highlighting the importance of these communication skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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 Product Development 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.
What skills will help Product Development Chemists earn the most?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: I think complementing strong fundamental chemistry background with coding and data science skills.
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 Product Development 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 soft skills should all Product Development 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 Product Development 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 certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Product Development Chemists?
Darrell Fry: Earning a degree from an University that takes time and effort to be accredited by either the American Chemical Society (ACS) and/or the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology(ASBMB) ensures the graduate will have marketable skills. Chemistry is a broad field, and there are numerous niches that a candidate can find; however, each niche has specialized skills. Younger chemists profit from being well read and having several mentors. Together, the candidate and their mentors, can build a marketable skill sets.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Product Development Chemists?
Dr. Richard Knight Ph.D.: MSE majors, at least at Drexel, typically do not complete the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam while in college. In the last 5 or 6 years only one student has done this. Few graduating students enter into careers in the Product Liability or Expert Witness areas for which PE licensure would be necessary. A small number of students have taken classes relating to lean manufacturing/Six-Sigma techniques, which are increasingly important in industry.
A significant number of MSE majors do, however, pursue a broad range of minors in addition to their MSE major. Popular minors include Chemistry, Business, Nuclear Engineering, and other Engineering disciplines.
How have salaries changed over time for Product Development Chemists?
Dr. Richard Knight Ph.D.: Starting salaries for MSE program graduates have increased steadily over time. Pandemic era starting salaries for 2020 and 2021 appear to be holding up reasonably well compared to previous years. For MSE majors who graduated in 2020, and for whom only their final term was impacted by the pandemic, more than 60% reported starting salaries in the $80-90k range. In contrast, MSE majors graduating in 2021, for whom the majority of their senior year was remote/online, and who already have a job, report starting salaries in the $75-80k range, somewhat lower. Over time, more packages include incentives such as signing bonuses, relocation expenses, assistance with finding accommodation, and competitive benefits packages.