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.
What is a Research Chemist?
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.
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.
Average Salary for a Research Chemist
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Research Chemist Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active research chemist jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where research chemists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Research Chemist Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,510 | $75,933 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,800 | $81,962 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 1,552 | $69,423 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 1,397 | $86,773 |
| 5 | Florida | 1,312 | $55,494 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,189 | $65,813 |
| 7 | New Jersey | 1,109 | $79,489 |
| 8 | Ohio | 969 | $75,955 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 902 | $62,890 |
| 10 | Virginia | 888 | $108,101 |
| 11 | Michigan | 774 | $71,656 |
| 12 | Georgia | 741 | $70,255 |
| 13 | Minnesota | 736 | $73,253 |
| 14 | New York | 729 | $64,089 |
| 15 | Oregon | 637 | $69,683 |
| 16 | Colorado | 611 | $72,053 |
| 17 | Missouri | 606 | $60,839 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 553 | $91,197 |
| 19 | Indiana | 530 | $66,954 |
| 20 | Arizona | 504 | $64,994 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 499 | $63,779 |
| 22 | Washington | 454 | $78,221 |
| 23 | Maryland | 409 | $88,507 |
| 24 | Utah | 330 | $62,497 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 326 | $78,313 |
| 26 | Iowa | 274 | $73,314 |
| 27 | Nebraska | 247 | $59,144 |
| 28 | Kentucky | 221 | $77,582 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | 220 | $87,800 |
| 30 | South Carolina | 211 | $78,455 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 208 | $76,047 |
| 32 | Kansas | 199 | $72,332 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | 199 | $67,483 |
| 34 | Alabama | 168 | $67,922 |
| 35 | Louisiana | 168 | $68,313 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 161 | $78,557 |
| 37 | Arkansas | 144 | $62,126 |
| 38 | Idaho | 135 | $73,311 |
| 39 | Delaware | 132 | $98,255 |
| 40 | Maine | 130 | $50,400 |
| 41 | West Virginia | 120 | $76,867 |
| 42 | Mississippi | 120 | $70,022 |
| 43 | Nevada | 114 | $70,424 |
| 44 | South Dakota | 106 | $49,343 |
| 45 | Vermont | 103 | $85,106 |
| 46 | Montana | 96 | $71,672 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 71 | $62,758 |
| 48 | Hawaii | 65 | $72,164 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 53 | $52,083 |
| 50 | Alaska | 8 | $80,208 |
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
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, 9.9% of research chemists listed laboratory equipment on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Research Chemist Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Research Chemist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Research Chemist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Research Chemist Demographics
Research Chemist Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among research chemists, 31.5% of them are women, while 68.5% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among research chemists is White, which makes up 62.8% of all research chemists.
- The most common foreign language among research chemists is Spanish at 24.4%.
Work Experience Programs For Research Chemists
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4-5 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4 hours
Company: JPMorgan Chase
Cost: Free
Duration: 8-12 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Online Courses For Research Chemist That You May Like
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...
The Market Research Specialisation focuses on the essentials of research and the research process. This Specialisation will teach you how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods, how to develop and manage a questionnaire development strategy, how to develop measurements, how to collect data and how to analyze and present them.\n\nOnce you have completed this Specialisation, you will have a good understanding of market research including:\n\nEssentials of market research Components...
"Finding the Story in the Data” is the most important emerging capability for market researchers according to GRIT (Greenbook Research Industry Trends) Report 2016. This specialization, designed for learners with no previous Marketing Research experience teaches a comprehensive marketing research approach that will help learners find and communicate the story in the data.\n\nStudents will learn how to initiate a research project for targeted business needs, conduct research through multiple...
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, Tennessee, and Maryland. Research chemists make the most in Virginia with an average salary of $108,101. Whereas in Delaware and Tennessee, they would average $98,255 and $91,197, respectively. While research chemists would only make an average of $88,507 in Maryland, 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. Delaware
$98,255
Avg. Salary
2. Virginia
$108,101
Avg. Salary
3. Massachusetts
$86,773
Avg. Salary
How Do Research Chemist Rate Their Jobs?
Top Research Chemist Employers
Most Common Employers For Research Chemist
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | $104,740 | $50.36 | 19 |
| 2 | Stepan | $101,182 | $48.65 | 16 |
| 3 | Exxon Mobil | $100,917 | $48.52 | 16 |
| 4 | The Dow Chemical Company | $95,654 | $45.99 | 33 |
| 5 | Eastman | $93,513 | $44.96 | 17 |
| 6 | FMC | $91,273 | $43.88 | 13 |
| 7 | Cytec Industries | $91,056 | $43.78 | 13 |
| 8 | DuPont | $90,142 | $43.34 | 28 |
| 9 | Merck | $89,883 | $43.21 | 54 |
| 10 | BASF | $89,600 | $43.08 | 39 |
Research Chemist Videos
