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Chemistry

Types of Degrees Chemistry Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Chemistry have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Associate’s Degree	1,017
Bachelor’s Degree	12,590
Master’s Degree	2,666
Doctor’s Degree	3,151

What Chemistry Majors Need to Know

Studies in Chemistry build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Chemistry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Chemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Chemistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Chemistry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Chemistry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Chemistry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Chemistry graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Research Director
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Study Manager
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Program Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Chemistry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	39.9%
Master’s degree	16.8%
Doctoral degree	10.6%
Post-doctoral training	10.2%
Postsecondary certificate	5.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
Some college courses	4.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52.6% women and 47.4% men among Chemistry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,221	52.6%
Men	9,213	47.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Chemistry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	9,254	47.6%
Asian	2,397	12.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,661	13.7%
Black or African American	1,050	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.1%
Two or More Races	793	4.1%
Race Unknown	443	2.3%
International Students	2,771	14.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Chemistry Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Chemistry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,286
4 years	$61,499
5 years	$72,069

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $72,069 — roughly 56% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Chemistry Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Chemistry. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	10	14
Bachelor’s	4	17
Master’s	10	12

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Chemistry Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Chemistry graduates earn a median of $61,499 four years after completion — roughly 62% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Physical Sciences	40
Astronomy and Astrophysics	40.02
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	40.04
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	40.06
Materials Sciences	40.10
Physical Sciences, General	40.01
Physical Sciences, Other	40.99
PHYSICAL SCIENCES	40.00
Physics and Astronomy	40.11
Physics	40.08

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.