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Job outlook for wet chemistry analysts in the United States
Are wet chemistry analyst jobs in demand?
Wet chemistry analyst job and salary trends over time
Wet chemistry analyst jobs over time
Wet chemistry analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 621 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 639 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 644 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 652 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 650 | 0.00% |
Average wet chemistry analyst salary over time
Wet chemistry analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,615 | $24.33 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $49,549 | $23.82 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $49,077 | $23.59 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $47,704 | $22.93 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $47,066 | $22.63 | +3.5% |
Wet chemistry analyst jobs by state
Most common states for wet chemistry analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 96 | 14% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 334 | 6% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 391 | 5% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 314 | 5% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 39 | 4% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 31 | 4% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 29 | 4% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 187 | 3% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 177 | 3% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 144 | 3% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 46 | 3% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 45 | 3% |
| 13 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 36 | 3% |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 34 | 3% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 28 | 3% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 23 | 3% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 19 | 3% |
| 18 | New York | 19,849,399 | 446 | 2% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 152 | 2% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 83 | 2% |
Most common cities for wet chemistry analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Grove | 2 | 3% | $45,960 |
Wet Chemistry Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of wet chemistry analyst experts
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
College of Idaho
SUNY at Albany
Ohio University Southern
Wake Forest University
University of Utah
Boston College
Point Loma Nazarene University
High Point University
Georgia College and State University
Maryville University
Cleveland Community College
University of South Florida
University of the Sciences
Norfolk State University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Rider University
What Wet Chemistry Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Isabelle Lagadic Ph.D.: I’ve met employers asking me if I could teach my students basic skills like “being on time”, “writing a proper email”, “clearly and carefully documenting their work”, “using critical thinking to stop a recording or an experiment when it is obvious that it is not working”. Those very basic skills that everyone takes for granted in addition of basic technical skills are going to become the most prevalent in the coming years. What’s scary is the collision between the inevitable advancement of Ai in this field and this lack of basic skills. It is difficult to train people on tomorrow’s skills if they don’t already master today’s skills.
What will help Wet Chemistry Analysts increase their earning potential?
Patrick Hare: Facility with using and interpreting AI results is an obvious growing need. Many of those skills are just applied analytical and critical thinking. The trick will be to do the applying and keep them fresh. Understanding how the systems work will also be useful.
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat will help Wet Chemistry Analysts increase their earning potential?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: Try to develop some business skills on product marketing and sales. Try to apply your scientific and engineering skills to business and become an all-around player.
What general advice would you give to a Wet Chemistry Analyst?
Bonnie Cantrell: Chemistry is the backbone to most protocols for the material, medical, and biological sciences.
Without chemistry, we would not know many of the things we know today. It will always be relevant in
helping change the scientific world as we know it. The advancements in science technology alone makes
chemistry today more exciting than ever. Just with balances from 1980's to now, we went from only
being able to weigh with counter balance weights to having a digital scale read accurately to 0.001
milligrams. Chemistry used to be more theoretical and only explainable from what we could make react
together. Now we have technology that can visualize the chemical composition and structure allowing
for us to create solutions to problems we could only dream of before. Whether you are wanting danger,
to save lives, or to help make this planet a better place to live, being a chemist can help you fuel your
passions.
Alan Chen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Chemistry & the RNA Institute, University at AlbanySUNY at Albany
Chemistry
What Wet Chemistry Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: Our most successful students start research no later than sophomore year and many opt for our 5-year combined BS/MS track. These students outcompete BS-level applicants for entry-level jobs, and start at higher salary and responsibility levels as many companies will count time in graduate school as "prior experience". The MS degree is particularly versatile as it can also be earned part-time by current employees looking to advance, and unlike the PhD does not over-qualify you for the vast majority of entry level chemist positions. MS degrees typically enable early-career chemists to move up the ranks into management or team-leader positions after a few years. They are also a possible way for recent grads who were unable to get a job due to lack of research experience in undergrad, to get that crucial research experience during their MS thesis, and possibly even upgrade-in-place to our PhD program if they are doing really well. Basically, there seems to be no drawback to getting an MS in Chemistry at a research-intensive university for the vast majority of scientific career tracks.
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of InstructionOhio University Southern
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Wet Chemistry Analyst resumes?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: For industry/research positions, employers like to see that candidates have experience/training on certain instruments. HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is a common instrument that I see in a lot of job postings, so experience with that can be especially helpful to a candidate.
What soft skills should all Wet Chemistry Analysts possess?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: Communication skills are crucial, regardless of the type of position. Chemists need to be able to effectively communicate their findings, as well as communicate with their supervisors and colleagues. Additionally, chemists may be asked to train newer employees, further highlighting the importance of these communication skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Kyle Kemats Ph.D.: As I mentioned in question 1, training/experience on various instruments is the most important for industry/research jobs. For teaching positions, experience with different pedagogical/education techniques will be helpful for a potential candidate.
Brian Mendenhall
Associate Director and Career CoachWake Forest University
Office of Personal and Career Development
What skills stand out on Wet Chemistry Analyst resumes?
Brian Mendenhall: Two things that stand out for me, regardless of whether the person is seeking employment in research or industry, are data analysis (Excel, Python, R) and presentation skills. Research specific skills would also include experimental design and specific relevant laboratory techniques & equipment experience.
What soft skills should all Wet Chemistry Analysts possess?
Brian Mendenhall: In the past, the most important attributes have been leadership and problem-solving skills. If the pandemic has taught us anything, the most important attribute is the ability to work with others and get along in multiple virtual and in-person environments. The rest seem elementary and are all dependent on each other. To work well on a team, you need to problem-solve, both on the topic and on how to share information. To solve problems, you need to be analytical and quantitative. Certainly, to do this well, you need to communicate across diverse audiences and levels of understanding. The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys employers on these priorities and updates the results frequently. (see below for your reference)
Ability to work in a team 81.0%
Problem-solving skills 79.0%
Analytical/quantitative skills 76.1%
Communication skills (verbal) 73.2%
Communication skills (written)
https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-key-attributes-employers-seek-on-college-graduates-resumes/
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.
Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair in Biological Chemistry, Associate Chair of ChemistryUniversity of Utah
Department Of Chemistry
What skills stand out on Wet Chemistry Analyst resumes?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The skills that stand out are research experience, characterization instrumentation experience, and more recently, data science experience and coding experience, as machine learning and AI become more and more important in chemistry.
What soft skills should all Wet Chemistry Analysts possess?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important soft skills are communication and people management skills. It is critical to be strong in both oral and written communication.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.: The most important technical skill is solid experience in a research laboratory where you learn technique as well as the fundamentals.
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.
Margaret A & Thomas A Vanderslice Chair in Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of Chemistry DepartmentBoston College
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Wet Chemistry Analyst resumes?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Skills to identify and solve problems.
What soft skills should all Wet Chemistry Analysts possess?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Problem-solving skills. When presented with a problem, knowing where to go to find information to solve it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Dunwei Wang Ph.D.: Chemistry is a diverse field. As a foundational discipline, it enables several sub-fields and supports emerging new fields. As one example, our graduates become experts in medical research, health care, and scientists and engineers in many other fields. Depending on the different career goals, what is important can be drastically different. Generally speaking, doing bench work (either in the lab or on a computer) should be a good skill to have at graduation.
What technical skills for a Wet Chemistry Analyst stand out to employers?
Dr. Matthieu Rouffet Ph.D.: Our PLNU graduates have a lot of hands-on experience (most courses have a lab component, and many of our students do summer research with a faculty member for two summers allowing them to spend over 800 hours in a lab), so employers regularly comment on the fact that they are ready to go from day one.
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and ChairHigh Point University
Department of Chemistry
What type of skills will young Wet Chemistry Analysts need?
Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.: Students always need foundational technical skills. In addition to skills specific to chemistry and biochemistry, strong communication and interpersonal skills such as writing, speaking, and collaboration are vital, as are quantitative reasoning skills such as data analytics, statistical analysis, and programming.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Wet Chemistry Analysts in the next 3-5 years?
Peter Rosado: Right now, with COVID-19, I feel that the field of medicinal chemistry/biotechnology is going to see a boom. Materials science is also on the rise with alternative energies and new restorative therapies. The area of chemistry is not a more extended purist and more integrated/interdisciplinary. No longer can you call yourself an "inorganic chemist" or an "analytical chemist"? Graduates should be aware that flexibility and eagerness to learn new things is critical here. These are the skills obtained from a college degree, which is not the only subject matter. But the ability to think through and solve problems, be flexible, adaptable, etc.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Anuradha Vummenthala: I don't envision the significant enduring impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on graduates looking for jobs in the Chemistry field. I do acknowledge that the current scenario appears gloomy. It has undoubtedly impacted everyone's lives socially, economically, and psychologically. But we, as humans and especially as Americans, have remarkable resilience, and we are bound to bounce back more vital than ever before.
We managed through the Great Recession and the economic crisis of 2008. The graduates may face some short-term challenges due to a hiring freeze and delayed start date on new hiring. However, the economy is slowly opening up, and opportunities will soon start pouring in. This is not going to last forever! Graduates can efficiently utilize this time to broaden their skill sets, expand their network, and explore non-traditional career paths like scientific writings, patent drafting, federal jobs, etc
What general advice would you give to a Wet Chemistry Analyst?
Lynn Monteith: Chemistry is one of the hardest majors to earn. If you have a chemistry degree, you have opened up the door to many rewarding opportunities. Find a field in chemistry you are passionate about and stick with it.
How do you envision technology impacting Wet Chemistry Analysts in the next 5 years?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.: Advances in instrumentation and automation always allow chemists to come into play, since they often lead to increased evaluation (drug discovery samples, materials, manufactured goods). The chemists are there to interpret the data and optimize the process.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.: I would say there will not be an enduring impact, though that answer is based on a return to primarily face-to-face instruction by this time next year. The use of online/virtual labs is not ideal, in a way that watching exercise videos does not give one six-pack abs or playing Madden does not make one a professional football player. We are already offering partial face-to-face labs to mitigate this, and a return to full face-to-face labs will allow students to pick up the skills they may not have perfected in earlier labs.
John Tomsho Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Programs in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacognosy Co-Director, Chemistry Core Facility NMR Facility Director Associate Professor of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of the Sciences
Department of of Chemistry and Biochemistry
What general advice would you give to a Wet Chemistry Analyst?
John Tomsho Ph.D.: Keep an open mind and consider all career options available to you. Also, seriously consider temp agencies and other short-term/contract employment opportunities. Many companies will hire their permanent employees from their ranks of contract workers. These short assignments can primarily serve the purpose of a 6-12 month interview period.
What general advice would you give to a Wet Chemistry Analyst?
Suely Black Ph.D.: Be resilient. Don't let lack of response or declinations to your applications get to you. There is a job out there for you. Try to learn from each declination. Sharpen all of your application documents and carefully craft email messages. They are a reflection of your work quality. Practice being interviewed. Use online resources. AAAS/Science has excellent information.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Wet Chemistry Analysts in the next 3-5 years?
Suely Black Ph.D.: We cannot predict what new technologies will emerge, so it is essential to be adaptable and comfortable with learning how to use all kinds of techniques, mostly those that connect people.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Suely Black Ph.D.: I do not believe there will be a negative impact on graduates. On the contrary, there could be a positive one if graduates adapt, are resilient, and overcome. They will learn that there is no problem without a solution, if you just persist.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wet Chemistry Analysts?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.: It depends on what is meant by the impact. The current COVID-19 pandemic affects most everyone's personal and professional lives in profound and unanticipated (mostly unwelcome) ways. Concerning the professional growth of recent graduates, the short-term impact may be substantial, yet the long-term impact, we hope, will not be as consequential. What do I mean by this? While seeing our recent graduates in the chemical sciences fare well thus far, it's reasonable to expect an attenuation of the start of recent graduate's professional career due to the severe economic disruption in so many business sectors. However, the continued societal and technological need for chemists' skills and contributions to so many critical technologies, sustainability, and human health are long-term needs and will present numerous opportunities for graduates.
What general advice would you give to a Wet Chemistry Analyst?
Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.: Balance patience with a sense of urgency. In a hypercompetitive market, new jobs, or other experiences will likely not be optimal -- the work might be tedious, or the pay might be low. But budding chemists can't get discouraged in these positions, there are still plenty of satisfying careers out there. I would remind these job seekers that they absolutely cannot become complacent, however. Finding those great careers will require hard work. I advise graduates to seek value from every opportunity, tenaciously. For example, can arriving early and leaving late to an entry-level lab position pay dividends in the form of new knowledge or skills? And, most importantly, how can that entry-level position be leveraged to expand the all-important network?
It's also essential for graduates to understand that even the most definite sense of urgency is going to be inefficient in the absence of a cohesive plan. Planning is stressful, though, when one is just starting. I advise grads to use multiple tools, including their network and their alma mater's career services department, to identify mentors who can help them establish appropriate goals and strategies.