Production scientists research new production processes to improve manufacturing systems to make them more time- and cost-efficient and, as a consequence, more profitable. As a production scientist, you may find work in myriad industries that involve the manufacturing of goods, like food processing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics testing, and many more.
You can opt to specialize in either product or process development as a production scientist, or you may work in both areas. In your role, you will plan and supervise product or production process testings to find the best way to optimize them. You will model new ideas and analyze data collected about existing production.
You will need a degree in biochemistry, engineering, or a related field to embark on a career as a production scientist. Employers looking to hire production scientists seek candidates with analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to follow strict methodologies and work on a team.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Production Scientist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.13 an hour? That's $66,831 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 10,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a Production Scientist, we found that a lot of resumes listed 9.1% of Production Scientists included Raw Materials, while 7.9% of resumes included Lab Equipment, and 7.7% of resumes included QC. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
If you're interested in becoming a Production Scientist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 83.2% of Production Scientists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 10.0% of Production Scientists have master's degrees. Even though most Production Scientists have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Production Scientist. When we researched the most common majors for a Production Scientist, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Master's Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Production Scientist resumes include Associate Degree degrees or Doctoral Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Production Scientist. In fact, many Production Scientist jobs require experience in a role such as Research Assistant. Meanwhile, many Production Scientists also have previous career experience in roles such as Laboratory Technician or Research Associate.