|
What
Can I Do With This Degree?
Chemical & Engineering Career Outlook
2002
Starting Salary Survey-pdf
Chemistry is a basic science which applies an understanding of molecular
structure and reactivity to the study of substances,  whether they are biological,
geological,
cosmic, or synthetic in origin. Chemists are thus concerned with fundamental
causes of transformation in matter and with synthesis and characterization
of new substances. Persons with a knowledge of chemistry have careers in
a great variety of industries, research laboratories, and state agencies.
A chemistry
major with a Bachelor of Science degree may find employment doing routine
laboratory work, assisting on a research team, working in product development,
or she/he
may work in the business-related areas of plant management, marketing or
sales.
The student aspiring to a professional career in chemical research
or college-level teaching pursues the bachelor's degree as preparation
for advanced degree work
in chemistry. The bachelor's degree in chemistry also provides a good
background for advanced study in such fields as biochemistry, botany,
business management,
chemical engineering, dentistry, forensic chemistry, geochemistry,
geology, medicinal chemistry, medicine, metallurgy, microbiology, museum
science,
oceanography, patent law, pharmacology, physiology, toxicology, veterinary
medicine and zoology.
TYPICAL JOBS INCLUDE:
Pharmaceutical chemist
 -
Industry, academic, or government chemist
-
Environmental chemist
-
Chemist in food, textile, petroleum, or pesticide
product and process development
-
Production chemist
-
Pulp and paper chemist
-
Paint formulation chemist
-
Technical/industrial
sales representative
In combination with appropriate course work
in other areas, an undergraduate major
in chemistry can provide preparation
for
such jobs as:
 -
Secondary Teacher
-
Writer/Journalist/Editor
-
Natural resource specialist
Starting Salaries:
According to ACS's latest starting salary survey for new chemistry
graduates (C&EN, March 18, page 51), the median full-time
salary for 2000–01 chemistry Ph.D. graduates, as of the
week of Oct. 8, 2001, was $70,000. This was 8% higher than
the $65,000 posted by the year-earlier class. The master's
class did almost as well with about a 7% year-to-year gain,
from $45,000 to $48,000. The median for new 2000–01 bachelor's
graduates, $33,600, was down slightly from the year-earlier
$34,000 for the 1999–2000 class.
2002 STARTING SALARY SURVEY according to C&EN:
As of the week of Oct. 7 last year, inexperienced new bachelor's-level
chemistry graduates who had received their degrees between
July 2001 and June 2002 and who had taken full-time permanent
jobs had a median salary of $31,000. This salary was down by
$1,200 from the median for the year-earlier graduating class.
For new master's-level chemistry graduates, the median was
$45,000, up $2,000 for the year, and for new Ph.D.s, it was
$67,500, down $2,000. Inexperienced graduates are those with
less than 12 months of technical work experience prior to graduation.
Job Market Position:
Chemistry majors are well positioned in the job market because they
possess other acquired skills that have broader applications: problem-solving
skills, critical-thinking skills, analytical skills, communication
skills, team-related skills, and computer skills. The ability to
find employment as a B.S. or M.S. chemist outside the traditional
bounds of chemistry means emphasizing these complementary skills,
not just your technical competence.
|
Top