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Organic Chemistry

Types of Degrees Organic Chemistry Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Organic Chemistry can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	2
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Organic Chemistry Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Organic 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

The skill set built by a Organic 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 Organic 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, Organic 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 Organic Chemistry professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Organic Chemistry graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Organic 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 Organic Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 75% of Organic Chemistry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	25.0%
Men	6	75.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5	62.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	12.5%
Race Unknown	1	12.5%
International Students	1	12.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Organic Chemistry Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Organic 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.}

Is a Degree in Organic Chemistry Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Organic 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
Forensic Chemistry	40.0510
Inorganic Chemistry	40.0503
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.