Research chemists are scientists who specialize in the study of chemical compounds, formulations, and processes. Your study is usually found useful in the formulation of drugs, cosmetics, beverages, food, and even electrical goods. Your job revolves around gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing new concepts, conducting tests and experiments, recording results, and enhancing existing products.
Further responsibilities include managing the CDS and LIMS systems for the institute, recording experimental data using LIMS, and performing extractions and analysis on raw materials or drug products. You must also be able to conduct stability studies and demonstrate your knowledge of relevant government regulations, including GLP and GMP requirements.
The average research chemist earns $69,468 yearly, which is at the rate of $33.4 an hour. You would commonly find employment in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and government companies. The minimum educational requirement for this role is a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field. Your resume must include top skills like the use of analytical methods, knowledge, and proficiency in the use of laboratory equipment.
How to Become a Research Chemist
What is a Research Chemist
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Research Chemist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $33.4 an hour? That's $69,468 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 3,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Research Chemist Do
There are certain skills that many Research Chemists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Analytical skills, Communication skills and Interpersonal skills.
How To Become a Research Chemist
If you're interested in becoming a Research Chemist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 71.1% of Research Chemists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 14.8% of Research Chemists have master's degrees. Even though most Research Chemists 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 Research Chemist. When we researched the most common majors for a Research Chemist, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Master's Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Research Chemist resumes include Doctoral Degree degrees or Associate Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Research Chemist. In fact, many Research Chemist jobs require experience in a role such as Chemist. Meanwhile, many Research Chemists also have previous career experience in roles such as Research Assistant or Research Associate.
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Research Chemist Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of Chemist you might progress to a role such as Scientist eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title Senior Research Associate.
Research Chemist Jobs You Might Like
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Create The Perfect Resume
Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Research Chemist resume.
Average Salary for a Research Chemist
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Research Chemist Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Research Chemist. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Kenneth Hamilton Research Chemist |
Russell Sanders Research Chemist  New Brunswick, NJ  (220) 555-2987  rsanders@example.com Experience Research Chemist2018 - Present Church & Dwight•New Brunswick, NJ
Chemist Assistant2008 - 2018 Revlon•New Brunswick, NJ
Research Laboratory Technician2005 - 2007 Washington University in St. Louis•Saint Louis, MO
Skills Product QualityCell CultureLab EquipmentAnimal CareAnalytical MethodsChemical AnalysisTechnical ReportsLc-MsPilot PlantPlant Processes Education Master's Degree Chemistry2007 - 2008 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey•New Brunswick, NJ Bachelor's Degree Chemistry2002 - 2005 New York University•New York, NY |
Emma Bennett Research Chemist  Research Chemist2015 - Present RentechBoulder, CO
Research Associate2013 - 2015 AmgenBoulder, CO
Environmental Chemist2011 - 2013 Cardinal HealthChapel Hill, NC
 Bachelor's Degree Chemistry2008 - 2011 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC |
Contact Information  Boulder, CO (560) 555-3443 ebennett@example.comSkills Organic Compounds Flow Cytometry PH Meter Microorganisms Scale-Up Animal Care Research Projects Analytical Data MRI Cell Culture |
Donna Gardner Research Chemist  Philadelphia, PA  (570) 555-3382  dgardner@example.com Skills ProceduresAnalytical MethodsQCProduct DevelopmentHazardous MaterialsProduct QualityDSCChemistryDrug ProductsRaman |
Employment History Research Chemist2017 - Present Mutual Pharmaceutical Company•Philadelphia, PA
Associate Chemist2016 - 2017 Mutual Pharmaceutical Company•Philadelphia, PA
Analytical Chemist2009 - 2015 Mutual Pharmaceutical Company•Philadelphia, PA
Education Master's Degree Chemistry2015 - 2016 Temple University•Philadelphia, PA Bachelor's Degree Chemistry2006 - 2009 Temple University•Philadelphia, PA |
Learn How To Write a Research Chemist Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Research Chemist resumes and compiled some information about how to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Research Chemist Resume Examples And Templates
Find the best Research Chemist job for you
Research Chemist Jobs You Might Like
- High Paying Research Chemist Jobs - $97K and Up
- Entry Level Research Chemist Jobs
- Part Time Research Chemist Jobs
- Actively Hiring
- No Degree Research Chemist Jobs
Create The Perfect Resume
Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Research Chemist resume.
Check Jobs That Match To Your Education
Top Colleges for Research Chemists
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
3. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
5. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
6. Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL • Private
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
8. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
9. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Find the best Research Chemist job for you
Research Chemist Jobs You Might Like
- High Paying Research Chemist Jobs - $97K and Up
- Entry Level Research Chemist Jobs
- Part Time Research Chemist Jobs
- Actively Hiring
- No Degree Research Chemist Jobs
Online Courses For Research Chemist That You May Like
Become A Professional in HPLC From A to Z - Your Comprehensive guideline. The first and the lonely Chemistry HPLC course...
This MOOC is about demystifying research and research methods. It will outline the fundamentals of doing research, aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at the postgraduate level. It places the student experience at the centre of our endeavours by engaging learners in a range of robust and challenging discussions and exercises befitting SOAS, University of London's status as a research-intensive university and its rich research heritage. The course will appeal to those of you who require an unde...
1 Course on Marketing Analytics: Become a marketing analytics & strategy expert...
Top Skills For a Research Chemist
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 9.7% of Research Chemists listed Analytical Methods on their resume, but soft skills such as Analytical skills and Communication skills are important as well.
- Analytical Methods, 9.7%
- Laboratory Equipment, 9.7%
- R, 6.4%
- Hplc, 5.3%
- Chemistry, 5.1%
- Other Skills, 63.8% See All Research Chemist Skills
12 Research Chemist RESUME EXAMPLES
Build a professional research chemist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your research chemist resume.
Best States For a Research Chemist
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a Research Chemist. The best states for people in this position are Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Research Chemists make the most in Virginia with an average salary of $99,012. Whereas in Delaware and Vermont, they would average $94,186 and $87,667, respectively. While Research Chemists would only make an average of $86,855 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Vermont
$87,667
Avg. Salary
2. Massachusetts
$86,855
Avg. Salary
3. Delaware
$94,186
Avg. Salary
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