2. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

3. Overview: Chemistry helps explain the physical world and its workings, and plays an important role in our lives. Chemists have contributed a great deal to technical advances of society and have made many important contributions to modern life. Everything is made from one or more chemical elements that occur in nature. Chemists use different kinds of chemical processes to make the elements more useful, and they create products that make our lives healthier, easier, and more enjoyable. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center

4. Overview (continued): A person with a bachelor's level education in chemistry is prepared to assume a wide variety of positions in industry, government, and academia. The more obvious positions for which a background in chemistry is important are those in the chemical industry or in chemical education. Though chemists may change employers several times during their careers, the majority in the field stay in it their entire careers. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

5. Preparation: Because chemistry offers so many different career opportunities and can be your entrée into a whole spectrum of careers, scientific and nonscientific, you should consider your options; choose as your goals the fields that interest you most, and plan your education with your goals in mind. Your degree offers vital proof of your mastery of basic principles and how well you prepared for specific career options. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

6. Preparation (continued): The variety of degrees in chemistry and related fields include: Associate in Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Science (A.S.); Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in chemistry; Master of Science (M.S.) degree and the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree; and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. Some receive additional training in post-doctoral positions. Since the chemical industry has become globalized, you may want to include the study of a foreign language. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

7. Preparation (continued): How much education is enough? The answer to this question depends on your interests, abilities, and career goals. Most universities offer degrees in Chemistry. Additional details about preparing for a career in Chemistry are available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

8. Day in the Life: Private industry employs about two-thirds of all chemists. Most industrial chemists work in research and development (R&D), R&D management, sales, or marketing. Entry-level bachelor's degree chemists may work in research or plant labs analyzing and testing products. They may also work with senior researchers in R&D laboratories. As they gain experience, they work more independently and can advance to supervisory positions or change career tracks to work in chemical sales or other business functions. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

9. Day in the Life (continued): About 10% of all chemists are employed by the government. Much of this work is aimed at developing the scientific basis for government regulations. Chemists also perform testing work needed to enforce government regulations and monitor their effectiveness. Others with a degree in Chemistry choose to work in academia, sharing their passion for chemistry with students at all grade levels. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

10. Day in the Life (continued): Career Briefs The Sloan Career Cornerstone Center offers detailed career briefs for Chemists in:career briefs OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry - Agricultural Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry - Biochemistry - Biotechnology - Catalysis - Chemical Education - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Information Specialists - Chemical Sales/Marketing - Chemical Technology - Colloid/Surf Chemistry Consulting - Consumer Products Development - Environmental Chemistry - Food and Flavor Chemistry - Forensic Chemistry - Geochemistry - Hazardous Waste Management - Inorganic Chemistry - Materials Science - Medicinal Chemistry - Oil and Petroleum Chemistry - Organic Chemistry - Physical Chemistry - Polymer Chemistry - Pulp and Paper Chemistry - R&D Management - Science Writing - Textile Chemistry - Water Chemistry

11. Day in the Life (continued): The Workplace Working hours for Chemists very much depend on the nature of their work. Chemists working in industry may find themselves in an office setting or laboratory. Those working for government agencies may be in offices, or in the field. Those working in academia will find themselves in school settings, with varied hours. Travel will also be dependent upon the needs of the employer. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

12. Earnings: According the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual wages of chemists in the United States is $66,230. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of chemists are shown below: -Federal Executive Branch ………………………………….…$95,690 -Scientific research and development services..…$76,450 -Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing …...$66,520 -Basic chemical manufacturing …………………………….$63,630 -Architectural, engineering, and related services.$51,180 OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

13. Employment: Chemists hold about 84,300 jobs in the United States. In addition, many chemists hold faculty positions in colleges and universities but are not included in these numbers. About 42 percent of all chemists are employed in manufacturing firms -- mostly in the chemical manufacturing industry. Firms in this industry produce plastics and synthetic materials, drugs, soaps and cleaners, pesticides and fertilizers, paint, industrial organic chemicals, and other chemical products. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

14. Employment (continued): About 18 percent of chemists and material scientists work in scientific research and development services; ; 9 percent worked in testing labs. Others work in architectural, engineering, and related services. And, thousands of people with a background in chemistry hold teaching positions in high schools and in colleges and universities. Chemists are employed in all parts of the country, but they are mainly concentrated in large industrial areas, unless they are employed in education. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

15. Career Path Forecast: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of chemists is expected to grow 2 percent over the 2008-2018 decade, slower than the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur in professional, scientific, and technical services firms as manufacturing companies continue to outsource their R&D and testing operations to these smaller, specialized firms. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

16. Career Path Forecast (continued): Demand for chemists is expected to be driven by biotechnology firms. Biotechnological research, including studies of human genes, continues to offer possibilities for the development of new drugs and products to combat illnesses and diseases that have previously been unresponsive to treatments derived by traditional chemical processes. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry

17. Resources: More information about Chemistry is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, including employer lists, accredited Chemistry programs, suggestions for precollege students, a free monthly careers newsletter, profiles of Chemists, and a PDF that summarizes the field.ChemistrySloan Career Cornerstone Centeremployer listsaccredited Chemistry programsprecollege studentsnewsletter profiles of ChemistsPDF that summarizes the field Associations: American Chemical Society American Chemistry Council International Council of Chemical Associations Institution of Chemical Engineers OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Chemistry