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Chemistry
The tables below present the occupations that are most commonly associated
with a degree in Chemistry. We have separated the tables
depending on whether we examine graduates who stop their education with the
bachelors degree in Chemistry, and those who get either a masters
in Chemistry, a Ph.D. in Chemistry.
While the list above describes the occupations of students with advanced degrees in
Chemistry some students with a bachelors degree in Chemistry will get advanced
degrees in other fields. The tables listed below descibe the types of advanced degrees
that were chosen by students with a bachelors in Chemistry.
Since all of the above tables present information on the average salary,
it is possible to lose sight of the fact that some majors place students
in jobs with a narrow range of salaries near to the mean while others
place students in many different income categories. For this reason,
we have drawn two frequency distributions (histograms) of Chemistry Salaries.
Histogram of Chemistry Salaries: Bachelors Degree Only
The diagram below includes all students with a major in Chemistry who received no degree beyond the bachelors.
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Histogram of Chemistry Salaries: Bachelors and Beyond
The diagram below includes all students with a major in Chemistry while an undergraduate.
The data includes students who subsequently earned degrees beyond the bachelors.
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Bachelors Degree
The information in the table below is based on data from people of all sexes and ages whose most recent college degree was a bachelors degree majoring in Chemistry.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$43,853 404 37.69 Chemists, except biochemists
$62,932 122 11.38 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers)
$40,636 37 3.45 Health Technologists and Technicians (e.g., dental hygienists, health record technologists/technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical or laboratory technicians, radiologic technologists/technicians)
$53,364 37 3.45 OTHER management related occupations
$63,007 36 3.36 Engineers: Chemical
$57,085 23 2.15 Sales Occupations - Commodities Except Retail (e.g., industrial machinery/equipment/supplies, medical and dental equiptment/supplies)
$52,660 22 2.05 Engineers: Environmental
$44,377 21 1.96 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control)
$33,828 21 1.96 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed)
$34,785 19 1.77 Technologists and technicians in the biological/life sciences
$30,676 18 1.68 Teachers: Secondary - computer, math or sciences
$47,867 18 1.68 OTHER marketing and sales occupations
$33,510 17 1.59 Technologists and technicians in the physical sciences
$48,809 15 1.40 OTHER computer, information science Occupations
$51,064 15 1.40 Engineers: Materials or metallurgical
$68,500 14 1.31 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services
$32,951 14 1.31 Biochemists and biophysicists
$30,456 13 1.21 OTHER administrative (e.g., record clerks, telephone operators)
$50,390 13 1.21 Other engineers
$38,862 10 .93 Medical scientists (excluding practitioners)
$65,076 10 .93 Computer engineer - software
$27,563 10 .93 Sales Occupations - Retail (e.g., furnishings, clothing, motor vehicles, cosmetics)
$33,265 9 .84 OTHER health occupations
$46,583 8 .75 Computer system analysts
$32,143 7 .65 Precision/production occupations (e.g., workers, woodworkers, butchers, bakers, printing occupations, tailors, shoemakers, photographic process)
$37,866 7 .65 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists
$48,297 6 .56 Engineers: Electrical, electronic
$45,667 6 .56 Engineers: Industrial
$41,389 6 .56 OTHER biological/life scientists
$51,028 6 .56 Computer scientists, except system analysts
$83,680 6 .56 Diagnosing Treating Practitioners (e.g., dentists, optometrists, physicians, psychiatrists, podiatrists, surgeons, veterinarians)
$31,197 6 .56 OTHER engineering technologists and technicians
$53,097 6 .56 Information systems scientists or analysts
$69,510 6 .56 Transportation/material moving occupations
$43,172 5 .47 Registered nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, therapists, physician assistants
$43,388 5 .47 Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists
$36,740 5 .47 OTHER physical scientists
$45,840 5 .47 OTHER service occupations, except health
$29,800 5 .47 Professors: Chemistry
$58,940 4 .37 Physicists
$58,000 4 .37 Agricultural and food scientists
$19,271 4 .37 Operators and related occupations (e.g., machine set-up, machine operators and tenders, fabricators, assemblers)
$36,400 3 .28 Unknown
$18,733 3 .28 Accounting clerks, bookkeepers
$40,489 3 .28 Sociologists
$25,433 3 .28 Secretaries, receptionists, typists
$63,995 3 .28 Engineers: Civil, including architectural and sanitary
$68,431 3 .28 Geologists, including earth scientists
$36,053 3 .28 Engineers: Electrical, electronic, industrial, mechanical
$40,731 3 .28 Protective services (e.g., fire fighters, police, guards)
$39,000 2 .19 Engineers: Petroleum
$49,600 2 .19 Statisticians
$28,650 2 .19 Farmers, Foresters and Fishermen
$22,000 2 .19 Teachers: Elementary
$87,480 2 .19 Construction trades, miners and well drillers
$100,000 1 .09 Lawyers, Judges
$62,400 1 .09 Computer engineer - hardware
$11,752 1 .09 Food Preparation and Service (e.g., cooks, waitresses, bartenders)
$50,000 1 .09 Professors: Physics
$50,000 1 .09 Engineers: Sales
$48,000 1 .09 Engineers: Mechanical
$46,900 1 .09 Artists, Broadcasters, Editors, Entertainers, Public Relations Specialists, Writers
$31,200 1 .09 Mechanics and repairers
$30,000 1 .09 Actuaries
$26,000 1 .09 Teachers: Secondary - other subjects
$25,200 1 .09 Forestry, conservation scientists
$21,000 1 .09 Counselors, Educational and Vocational (Also see 236)
$14,400 1 .09 Biological scientists (e.g., botanists, ecologists, zoologists)
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Masters
The information in the table below is based on data from people of all
sexes and ages whose most recent college degree was a masters degree
in Chemistry.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$48,708 133 48.19 Chemists, except biochemists
$76,076 26 9.42 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers)
$36,163 12 4.35 Teachers: Secondary - computer, math or sciences
$40,756 10 3.62 Professors: Chemistry
$41,588 8 2.90 Biochemists and biophysicists
$53,836 7 2.54 Engineers: Chemical
$45,613 6 2.17 Health Technologists and Technicians (e.g., dental hygienists, health record technologists/technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical or laboratory technicians, radiologic technologists/technicians)
$52,118 5 1.81 OTHER management related occupations
$51,226 5 1.81 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control)
$58,314 5 1.81 Computer system analysts
$32,661 5 1.81 Technologists and technicians in the biological/life sciences
$50,993 5 1.81 Engineers: Environmental
$55,213 5 1.81 Engineers: Electrical, electronic
$46,000 4 1.45 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed)
$54,600 3 1.09 Sales Occupations - Commodities Except Retail (e.g., industrial machinery/equipment/supplies, medical and dental equiptment/supplies)
$57,147 2 .72 Engineers: Aeronautical, aerospace, astronautical
$44,220 2 .72 Technologists and technicians in the physical sciences
$69,950 2 .72 Engineers: Petroleum
$39,000 2 .72 Other engineers
$65,400 2 .72 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services
$90,000 2 .72 Lawyers, Judges
$35,000 2 .72 Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists
$28,500 2 .72 OTHER biological/life scientists
$65,080 2 .72 Medical scientists (excluding practitioners)
$89,000 2 .72 Computer engineer - software
$43,500 2 .72 OTHER computer, information science Occupations
$62,400 1 .36 Computer engineer - hardware
$62,000 1 .36 Professors: OTHER natural sciences
$65,780 1 .36 Engineers: Materials or metallurgical
$80,000 1 .36 Engineers: Nuclear
$14,300 1 .36 OTHER service occupations, except health
$50,000 1 .36 OTHER health occupations
$60,000 1 .36 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists
$51,852 1 .36 Sociologists
$50,000 1 .36 Geologists, including earth scientists
$45,188 1 .36 Engineers: Electrical, electronic, industrial, mechanical
$40,920 1 .36 Biological scientists (e.g., botanists, ecologists, zoologists)
$36,000 1 .36 Accounting clerks, bookkeepers
$30,000 1 .36 Teachers: Elementary
$27,000 1 .36 OTHER physical scientists
$25,500 1 .36 Professors: Physics
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Ph.D.
The information in the table below is based on data from people of all
sexes and ages whose most recent college degree was a Ph.D. degree in
Chemistry.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$61,385 229 44.38 Chemists, except biochemists
$59,595 68 13.18 Professors: Chemistry
$81,071 55 10.66 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers)
$45,820 31 6.01 Biochemists and biophysicists
$58,082 13 2.52 Medical scientists (excluding practitioners)
$65,185 8 1.55 Physicists
$60,457 7 1.36 Engineers: Chemical
$74,496 6 1.16 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control)
$58,200 5 .97 OTHER biological/life scientists
$64,102 5 .97 OTHER health occupations
$51,680 5 .97 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed)
$94,000 5 .97 Diagnosing Treating Practitioners (e.g., dentists, optometrists, physicians, psychiatrists, podiatrists, surgeons, veterinarians)
$95,500 4 .78 Biological scientists (e.g., botanists, ecologists, zoologists)
$78,164 4 .78 Engineers: Materials or metallurgical
$60,000 4 .78 Computer engineer - software
$68,667 3 .58 Information systems scientists or analysts
$71,333 3 .58 Atmospheric and space scientists
$62,000 3 .58 Engineers: Nuclear
$71,667 3 .58 Engineers: Electrical, electronic
$75,964 3 .58 Engineers: Environmental
$78,600 3 .58 Agricultural and food scientists
$60,000 3 .58 Other engineers
$55,000 3 .58 OTHER physical scientists
$93,800 3 .58 OTHER management related occupations
$66,500 2 .39 Engineers: Aeronautical, aerospace, astronautical
$79,000 2 .39 Sales Occupations - Commodities Except Retail (e.g., industrial machinery/equipment/supplies, medical and dental equiptment/supplies)
$30,000 2 .39 Clergy and Other Religious Workers
$77,500 2 .39 Professors: Physics
$99,000 2 .39 Lawyers, Judges
$67,500 2 .39 Professors: OTHER health specialties
$60,452 2 .39 Geologists, including earth scientists
$54,502 2 .39 Professors: Medical Science
$65,000 2 .39 Engineers: Sales
$65,000 2 .39 Computer scientists, except system analysts
$56,000 2 .39 Computer system analysts
$89,400 2 .39 Professors: Biological Sciences
$95,200 1 .19 Protective services (e.g., fire fighters, police, guards)
$100,000 1 .19 OTHER marketing and sales occupations
$100,000 1 .19 Professors: Engineering
$120,000 1 .19 Accounting clerks, bookkeepers
$89,000 1 .19 Engineers: Mechanical
$16,640 1 .19 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists
$60,000 1 .19 Professors: Earth, Environmental, and Marine Science
$60,000 1 .19 OTHER engineering technologists and technicians
$52,250 1 .19 Teachers: Secondary - computer, math or sciences
$50,000 1 .19 Technologists and technicians in the physical sciences
$50,000 1 .19 OTHER postsecondary
$49,000 1 .19 OTHER computer, information science Occupations
$45,000 1 .19 Professors: Computer Science
$40,560 1 .19 Health Technologists and Technicians (e.g., dental hygienists, health record technologists/technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical or laboratory technicians, radiologic technologists/technicians)
$35,000 1 .19 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services
$20,000 1 .19 Sales Occupations - Retail (e.g., furnishings, clothing, motor vehicles, cosmetics)
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Masters Degrees earned by students with a Bachelors
degree in Chemistry
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$51,718 226 38.44 Chemistry
$66,376 60 10.20 Business administration and management
$62,238 27 4.59 Engineering: Chemical
$45,278 22 3.74 Biochemistry and biophysics
$45,278 22 3.74 Biochemistry
$56,520 17 2.89 Computer science
$55,196 14 2.38 Financial management
$42,250 13 2.21 Education: Science teacher education
$63,015 11 1.87 Business marketing/marketing management
$49,120 10 1.70 OTHER business management/administrative services
$41,663 7 1.19 OTHER philosophy, religion, theology
$65,143 7 1.19 Business, general
$75,079 7 1.19 Public health (including environmental health and epidemiology)
$43,957 7 1.19 Education: OTHER education
$56,627 6 1.02 Engineering: Materials, including ceramics and textiles
$43,338 6 1.02 Accounting
$42,795 6 1.02 Education: Counselor education/guidance services
$67,850 6 1.02 Environmental science studies
$57,420 5 .85 Mathematics, general
$51,426 5 .85 Library Science
$44,100 5 .85 Statistics
$67,828 5 .85 Public administration
$83,724 5 .85 Medicine (e.g., dentistry, optometry, osteopathic, podiatry, veterinary)
$34,460 5 .85 Education: Secondary teacher education
$89,125 4 .68 Physics
$44,835 4 .68 Biology, general
$48,500 4 .68 Information services and systems
$65,230 4 .68 Engineering: Environmental
$46,017 3 .51 OTHER biological sciences
$61,053 3 .51 Engineering: Civil
$53,347 3 .51 OTHER FIELDS (Not Listed)
$77,967 3 .51 Engineering: Metallurgical
$76,639 3 .51 Public policy studies
$36,324 3 .51 Education: Administration
$48,563 3 .51 Pharmacy
$41,000 3 .51 Geology
$72,667 3 .51 OTHER engineering-related technologies
$69,696 3 .51 OTHER health/medical sciences
$25,527 3 .51 Earth sciences
$46,000 2 .34 Engineering: Industrial
$40,250 2 .34 Pharmacology, human and animal
$60,900 2 .34 International relations
$60,500 2 .34 Engineering: Computer/systems
$59,000 2 .34 Operations research
$39,250 2 .34 Psychology: Counseling
$54,600 2 .34 Engineering: Mechanical
$31,360 2 .34 Genetics, animal and plant
$26,000 2 .34 Nutritional sciences
$69,250 2 .34 OTHER physical sciences
$47,956 2 .34 Engineering: Electrical, electronics, communications
$47,500 2 .34 Food sciences and technology
$65,000 1 .17 Physiology, human and animal
$93,652 1 .17 OTHER communications
$150,000 1 .17 Law/Prelaw/Legal Studies
$79,990 1 .17 Engineering: Nuclear
$71,000 1 .17 Animal sciences
$63,828 1 .17 Linguistics
$85,000 1 .17 Computer/information sciences, general
$83,000 1 .17 Health services administration
-$10 1 .17 Social Work
$37,000 1 .17 Microbiology
$15,000 1 .17 Plant sciences
$20,500 1 .17 Education: Elementary teacher education
$24,960 1 .17 Engineering: Architectural
$25,000 1 .17 Architecture/Environmental Design
$25,000 1 .17 Sociology
$30,000 1 .17 Computer systems analysis
$34,996 1 .17 Economics
$35,000 1 .17 OTHER psychology
$36,000 1 .17 Physical therapy and other rehabilitation/therapeutic services
$36,400 1 .17 OTHER computer and information sciences
$63,000 1 .17 Oceanography
$37,000 1 .17 Philosophy of science
$37,400 1 .17 Education: Mathematics teacher education
$37,440 1 .17 Engineering: Mining and minerals
$39,200 1 .17 Journalism
$42,000 1 .17 OTHER visual and performing arts
$42,360 1 .17 Zoology, general
$47,000 1 .17 Engineering: Industrial production technologies
$50,000 1 .17 Engineering: Bioengineering and biomedical
$52,800 1 .17 Engineering: Electrical and electronic technologies
$60,000 1 .17 Geological sciences, other
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PhD's earned by students with a Bachelors
degree in Chemistry
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$64,158 438 64.79 Chemistry
$64,058 82 12.13 Biochemistry and biophysics
$64,058 82 12.13 Biochemistry
$83,545 11 1.63 Medicine (e.g., dentistry, optometry, osteopathic, podiatry, veterinary)
$57,467 9 1.33 Pharmacology, human and animal
$67,900 9 1.33 Physics
$81,455 9 1.33 Engineering: Materials, including ceramics and textiles
$70,469 8 1.18 Microbiology
$71,337 8 1.18 Engineering: Chemical
$54,175 6 .89 OTHER physical sciences
$84,246 6 .89 Pharmacy
$46,627 6 .89 Cell and molecular biology
$52,434 5 .74 Food sciences and technology
$55,750 4 .59 Education: OTHER education
$52,750 4 .59 Physiology, human and animal
$50,450 4 .59 OTHER biological sciences
$87,000 4 .59 Public health (including environmental health and epidemiology)
$49,338 3 .44 Geology
$77,162 3 .44 Psychology: Clinical
$34,732 3 .44 Genetics, animal and plant
$62,667 3 .44 Economics
$34,142 3 .44 Biology, general
$41,900 2 .30 Education: Educational psychology
$37,057 2 .30 Education: Administration
$61,000 2 .30 Philosophy of science
$59,875 2 .30 Education: Science teacher education
$75,050 2 .30 Earth sciences
$41,900 2 .30 Psychology: Educational
$54,850 2 .30 Geological sciences, other
$92,500 2 .30 OTHER agricultural sciences
$42,800 2 .30 Computer science
$51,500 2 .30 Psychology: Experimental
$82,000 2 .30 Engineering: Bioengineering and biomedical
$69,000 1 .15 Engineering: Industrial production technologies
$150,000 1 .15 Medical preparatory programs (e.g., pre-dentistry, pre-medical, pre-veterinary)
$83,000 1 .15 Statistics
$125,000 1 .15 Anthropology and archeology
$72,000 1 .15 Linguistics
$75,000 1 .15 Business/managerial economics
$98,000 1 .15 OTHER agricultural business and production
$91,500 1 .15 Engineering: Civil
$28,000 1 .15 OTHER health/medical sciences
$47,017 1 .15 Information services and systems
$39,000 1 .15 Environmental science studies
$40,000 1 .15 Home Economics
$40,000 1 .15 OTHER foreign languages and literature
$42,000 1 .15 English Language and Literature/Letters
$43,000 1 .15 Botany
$44,800 1 .15 Mathematics, general
$45,000 1 .15 Engineering: Environmental
$46,800 1 .15 OTHER communications
$66,000 1 .15 Geography
$50,000 1 .15 OTHER philosophy, religion, theology
$50,000 1 .15 Public administration
$51,000 1 .15 Atmospheric sciences and meteorology
$59,784 1 .15 Nutritional sciences
$60,000 1 .15 Forestry sciences (Except management)
$62,000 1 .15 OTHER psychology
$62,000 1 .15 Oceanography
$65,000 1 .15 Sociology
$66,000 1 .15 Accounting
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Other Professiona Degrees earned by students with a Bachelors
degree in Chemistry
Other advanced degrees include: JD, LLB, ThD, MD, and the DDS.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of
Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$101,378 392 89.29 Medicine (e.g., dentistry, optometry, osteopathic, podiatry, veterinary)
$77,007 20 4.56 Law/Prelaw/Legal Studies
$68,167 6 1.37 Chemistry
$86,833 6 1.37 Medical preparatory programs (e.g., pre-dentistry, pre-medical, pre-veterinary)
$101,280 5 1.14 OTHER health/medical sciences
$150,000 2 .46 Geological sciences, other
$74,880 1 .23 Pharmacology, human and animal
$48,000 1 .23 OTHER philosophy, religion, theology
$37,200 1 .23 Education: Administration
$125,000 1 .23 Engineering: Civil
$130,000 1 .23 Education: OTHER education
$150,000 1 .23 OTHER business management/administrative services
$150,000 1 .23 OTHER psychology
$34,000 1 .23 Engineering: Metallurgical
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Prepared by Prof. Ken Chapman: 73122.1717@compuserve.com