How to hire a production chemist

How to hire a production chemist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production chemist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a production chemist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new production chemist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a production chemist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a production chemist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect production chemist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of production chemists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Production Chemist	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Chemist	Chemists and materials scientists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and the ways in which the substances interact with one another. They use their knowledge to develop new and improved products and to test the quality of manufactured goods.	$18-48
   Quality Control	As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes... Show more	$11-21
   Quality Control Analyst	Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects... Show more	$19-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GMP
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Synthesis
   • ISO
   • R
   • Safety Guidelines
   • HPLC
   • FDA
   • Data Entry
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Qc Testing
   • UV/Vis
   • Production Process
   • PH Meter

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the team in the isolation and purification of critical enzymes vital to the manufacture of diagnostic medical reagents.
   • Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
   • Experience with running ELISA as well as SDS-PAGE.
   • Coordinate with technicians on ELISA performance and troubleshooting.
   • Perform UPLC, FTIR, and moisture analysis.
   • Perform in-process and finish products sample testing using HPLC.

   More production chemist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your production chemist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A production chemist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, production chemists' average salary in south dakota is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level production chemists earn 62% less than senior-level production chemists.
   • Certifications. A production chemist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a production chemist's salary.

   Average production chemist salary

   $62,937yearly

   $30.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production chemist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average production chemist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$70,581	$34
   2	Texas	$67,868	$33
   3	Washington	$60,927	$29
   4	Ohio	$60,586	$29
   5	Georgia	$57,601	$28
   6	Minnesota	$55,938	$27
   7	California	$54,793	$26
   8	New York	$53,961	$26
   9	Pennsylvania	$53,629	$26
   10	Indiana	$52,126	$25
   11	Wisconsin	$47,237	$23
   12	Arkansas	$44,621	$21
   13	Florida	$43,718	$21

   Average production chemist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bio-Rad Laboratories	$109,197	$52.50	10
   2	Entegris	$106,129	$51.02	5
   3	Praxair	$96,408	$46.35	1
   4	Insys Therapeutics	$67,684	$32.54
   5	Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.	$63,469	$30.51	5
   6	Cardinal Health	$62,891	$30.24	18
   7	BD	$62,634	$30.11	5
   8	Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals	$61,678	$29.65
   9	Heritage Environmental Services	$61,072	$29.36	3
   10	Surmodics	$59,249	$28.49
   11	AccuMed	$58,306	$28.03
   12	Kelly Services	$54,302	$26.11	108
   13	Randstad North America, Inc.	$53,665	$25.80	7
   14	LGC Hospitality	$53,325	$25.64	5
   15	System One	$53,295	$25.62	20

4. Writing a production chemist job description

   A production chemist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a production chemist job description:

   Production chemist job description example

   At Materion, everyone is included, respected and offered opportunity to grow. Join us!
   
   Under the direction of the Chemical Manufacturing Manager, the Production Chemist sets up and operates various departmental work centers to include tube furnaces, vacuum ovens, distillation equipment and fine glassware for standard chemical preparations according to route cards.
   You will have the opportunity to:Operate equipment to achieve necessary reactions and results to include tube furnaces, often performing complex operations. Set up furnaces and monitor process. Set up vacuum ovens, distillation equipment and fine glassware. Operate large processing equipment (500 gal.). Maintain instrumentation and equipment including preventive maintenance as needed. Sample products and submit for analytical tests using the computer system; filter material using gravity or suction methods and dry final products to appropriate consistency. Perform precipitation reactions in aqueous solutions; assist in the set up and assembly of chemical apparatus needed. Process all necessary documentation and computer input for processes completed, actions taken and results, including charting and graphing of data. Ability to track progression of production orders.Utilization of the Quality Management System (QMS) to improve processes and investigate non-conforming material. Also, utilization of QMS to update, revise or create lab records and work instruction.Be an integral part in the development of new/improvement products, from on-boarding through scale-up with T&I and to commercial production.Follow all clean-up and housekeeping procedures. Comply with all quality, safety, and work rules and regulations.Requirements: Associates degree in Chemistry or related field At least two years experience with relative instrumentation and processes Proficiency with algebraic functions, chemical equations and probability Experience operating a tube furnace, distillation equipment, vacuum ovens, electric pumps and various related equipment preferred The selection of the person to be hired for this position is contingent on the candidate having export compliance eligibility for access to U.S. controlled technology which comes under the licensing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The candidate selected will have to qualify as either a U.S. citizen, a U.S. National, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a Person Admitted into the U.S. as an Asylee or Refugee., a National of a country that is not prohibited from having access to U.S. controlled technology (via a letter of assurance), or a Person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction.
   
   The selection of the person to be hired for this position is contingent on the candidate having export compliance eligibility for access to U.S. controlled technology which comes under the licensing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
   
   The candidate selected will have to qualify as either a U.S. citizen, a U.S. National, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a Person Admitted into the U.S. as an Asylee or Refugee., a National of a country that is not prohibited from having access to U.S. controlled technology (via a letter of assurance), or a Person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on Materion's determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with Materion's business requirements.
   
   Materion Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the Company's policy to not unlawfully discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also the Company's policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity and maintain employment statistics on applicants.
   
   Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the Company. Please inform the Company's personnel representative if you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.
   
   Please provide complete information. An incomplete application may affect your consideration for employment.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right production chemist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your production chemist job on Zippia to find and recruit production chemist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with production chemist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new production chemist

   Once you've found the production chemist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new production chemist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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