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Analytical Chemistry

Types of Degrees Analytical Chemistry Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Analytical Chemistry can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	12
Master’s Degree	21
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Analytical Chemistry Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Analytical Chemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Analytical Chemistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Analytical Chemistry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Analytical Chemistry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite 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	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Analytical Chemistry graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.2%
Master’s degree	17.3%
Post-doctoral training	12.2%
Doctoral degree	11.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.7%
Some college courses	5.6%
Postsecondary certificate	4.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Analytical Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.2% of Analytical Chemistry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	24	63.2%
Men	14	36.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	20	52.6%
Hispanic or Latino	5	13.2%
Black or African American	3	7.9%
Two or More Races	1	2.6%
Race Unknown	2	5.3%
International Students	7	18.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Analytical Chemistry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Analytical Chemistry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Analytical Chemistry Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Analytical 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
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Analytical Chemistry Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Analytical 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
Chemistry	40.05
Chemical Physics	40.0508
Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics	40.0512
Chemistry, General	40.0501
Chemistry, Other	40.0599
Environmental Chemistry	40.0509
Forensic Chemistry	40.0510
Inorganic Chemistry	40.0503
Organic Chemistry	40.0504
Physical Chemistry	40.0506
Polymer Chemistry	40.0507
Theoretical Chemistry	40.0511

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.