---

Forensic Chemistry

Types of Degrees Forensic Chemistry Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	342
Master’s Degree	23

What Forensic Chemistry Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Forensic Chemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Forensic 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 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Forensic Chemistry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	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
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Forensic Chemistry professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Forensic Chemistry graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.1%
Master’s degree	18.6%
Post-doctoral training	13.1%
Doctoral degree	12.1%
Postsecondary certificate	5.5%
Some college courses	3.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Forensic Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.7% of Forensic Chemistry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	289	78.7%
Men	78	21.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	254	69.2%
Asian	10	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	59	16.1%
Black or African American	25	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.8%
Two or More Races	9	2.5%
Race Unknown	6	1.6%
International Students	1	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Forensic Chemistry Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Forensic Chemistry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Forensic Chemistry Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Forensic 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	1	0
Bachelor’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 Forensic Chemistry Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Forensic 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
Analytical Chemistry	40.0502
Chemical Physics	40.0508
Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics	40.0512
Chemistry, General	40.0501
Chemistry, Other	40.0599
Environmental Chemistry	40.0509
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.