How Does One Become a Chemist?

First and foremost, as with ANY career decision, what you need to decide above all else is whether you have the interest and skills and abilities to be a chemist. Do you enjoy the analytical and laboratory aspects of chemistry? Would you want to work in industry, government, or education? How many chemistry courses have you taken? Have you talked with any chemists about career paths?

According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), most chemists are employed in one of four areas: industry (60%), academia (24%), government (9%), or non-traditional (7%).

While a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in some area of chemistry (organic, polymer, macromolecular, medicinal, etc.) is required for the most basic lab jobs, many of the better career tracks require an advanced degree, including a doctoral degree in chemistry. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics projects most of the growth in this field to come from pharmaceutical companies and in research and testing firms.

Is the career financially viable? Even though I cringe at that question, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of July 2009, the latest date for which figures are available, beginning salary offers chemists with a bachelor’s degree averaged $39,897.