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What is a research and development chemist and how to become one
Research and development chemists specialize in the study of chemistry and chemistry-related operations. You will find yourself in the laboratory conducting extensive tests and experiments to develop new chemical formulations, which could be drugs. You will also observe chemical reactions, collaborate with other chemists, identify weaknesses of former formulations and come up with updated formulations.
Some of your key duties might include managing the laboratory's SPC and TQM programs, reviewing all protocols to ensure that all procedures follow ICH and GMP guidelines. Keep in mind that you will also be expected to maintain records and databases.
The most wanted skills and traits for a research and development chemist are communication skills, analytical skills, and product development. You will earn $34.28 an hour, which amounts to about $71,000 yearly. Most research and development chemists have bachelor's degrees in chemistry. You may decide to work in a manufacturing, pharmaceutical, or retail company.
What general advice would you give to a research and development chemist?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Avg. Salary $77,233
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 6%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%
Asian 21.53%
Black or African American 7.56%
Hispanic or Latino 9.26%
Unknown 4.55%
White 56.85%
Genderfemale 36.58%
male 63.42%
Age - 40American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 40Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Research and development chemist career paths
Key steps to become a research and development chemist
Explore research and development chemist education requirements
Start to develop specific research and development chemist skills
Skills Percentages R 17.86% Product Development 8.56% Laboratory Equipment 7.95% Analytical Methods 4.39% HPLC 3.75% Complete relevant research and development chemist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research and 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 research and development chemist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research and development chemist resumes.Research research and development chemist duties and responsibilities
- Plan, manage, and maintain laboratory's SPC and TQM programs.
- Utilize Citrix LIMS to register, manage, enter and release sample results for supervisor review.
- Lead technology evaluation, scale-up & commercialization (milling, extraction, distillation, clarification, ultra-filtration & concentration).
- Perform formulation development of generic solid dosage narcotic pharmaceuticals from initial research and development through scale-up to manufacturing and FDA submission.
Prepare your research and development chemist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research and 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 research and 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 research and development chemist resume templates
Build a professional research and 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 research and development chemist resume.
Apply for research and development chemist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a research and development chemist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first research and development chemist job
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Average research and development chemist salary
The average research and development chemist salary in the United States is $77,233 per year or $37 per hour. Research and development chemist salaries range between $52,000 and $114,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do research and development chemists rate their job?
Research and development chemist reviews
A new avenue to explore regarding cosmatics and providing expertise to enhance this science to a new frontier
Being a passion no resrevation regarding this feild.
the adventure, you are always creating items for people and you get to make people happy with what you do.
To discover new formulas and mixtures thats can break through the science world
I do not have a bachelor in chemistry but i do have a associate's in biology from the university of belize.
Updated January 8, 2025
