Chemistry

Types of Degrees Chemistry Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general chemistry graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	12,359
Doctor’s Degree	2,977
Master’s Degree	2,285
Associate Degree	1,039
Basic Certificate	97
Graduate Certificate	42
Undergraduate Certificate	10

What Chemistry Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, chemistry majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Chemistry Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in chemistry should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Chemistry Majors

A major in chemistry prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Chemistry Majors

Chemistry majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Chemistry Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with chemistry:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Chemistry Professors	9.9%	$79,550
Chemists	6.5%	$76,890
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry?

Roughly 55% of the graduates are women, and 45% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of chemistry majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1,582
Black or African American	887
Hispanic or Latino	1,777
White	6,486
International Students	763
Other Races/Ethnicities	864

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Chemistry. About 6.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Chemistry

Some degrees associated with chemistry may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to chemistry have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.5%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	48.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	6.2%
Master’s Degree	19.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	10.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	8.9%

Online Chemistry Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	10	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	230	8
Bachelor’s Degree	18	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	315	9
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	198	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Chemistry

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to chemistry.

Major	Number of Grads
Other Chemistry	603
Forensic Chemistry	338
Polymer Chemistry	85
Chemical Physics	52
Analytical Chemistry	40
Environmental Chemistry	23
Physical Chemistry	10
Theoretical Chemistry	8
Organic Chemistry	6
Inorganic Chemistry	1
Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics	1

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.