They also work in fields like mining, food processing, petroleum refining, and water and sewage treatment. Chemistry jobs are also available in agriculture and pollution control, hospitals, universities as well as independent research institutes. Half of these individuals work in research and development to gain knowledge about substances that will lead to the development of new products. Many chemists also work in production and quality control and work with chemical engineers to mix ingredients to produce paints and test them to ensure that they meet certain standards.
To qualify for entry-level chemistry jobs you must have a bachelor's degree in chemistry or a related subject and start working with the technical services to get experience in product testing. You must meet the requirements for certification if you want to teach chemistry in high school or take an internship in any chemistry related work. Most chemistry jobs require a master's or doctoral degree in chemistry especially if you want to do research work or teach in the university and continue to study throughout your chemistry careers to be able to keep up with the new developments.
There are various employment opportunities for chemists in museums as they can help restore and preserve artifacts. Chemistry graduates can even work as dieticians to plan meals and educate others about nutrition or even as a technical writer of chemistry related literature. Research showed that 60% of chemistry majors work in this industry as they may work in research, development or production chemist or food scientists, medical researchers or flavorists who develop food and beverage flavors. Many of them also work in different government departments like the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense, Agricultural Research Service Investigation and even the Environmental Protection Agency.
Chemistry is a broad and basic science and advancement will largely depend on education and experience. Many chemists become project supervisors or directors, others were given recognition for their research and publications and there are those who move into managers or executives for chemical companies. The good news is that the employment outlook for chemists is expected to grow through 2014.
If you want to pursue a career in chemistry here are the 10 chemistry job opportunities in US:
- Geochemistry
- Inorganic chemist - works with compounds containing carbon such as minerals, metals, and other substances.
- Analytical chemist - is the area in chemistry that study the composition of substances to determine the exact make up of a given sample to calculate the amount of chemicals
- Physical chemists - works with the basic theories like how the energy levels are altered due to chemical changes and develop new energy sources
- Biochemist - studies the chemistry of the living things
- Chemistry research jobs
- Agrochemistry
- Organic chemist - specializes in compounds containing the carbon element.
- Pharmacy chemist
- Software design
Competition is high so if you want to succeed you should focus on industrial chemistry and increase your exposure to the chemical industry while you are still in school by getting summer internships, mentorship, or job shadowing opportunities. Try to develop intangible traits and skills to help you overcome chemical industry obstacles. Good luck!
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