List of 100+ Career Options After Chemistry Degree!

Career Options After Chemistry! 100+ chemistry career list

Hi! Are you a Chemistry graduate? Are you listening and believing the story of a neighbor,  “Why did you choose Chemistry? It has no scope and job opportunities. You can work only as a professor or Chemist in a laboratory with a low salary. You might have chosen IT or any other field that has a high job opportunity “. Then, this article is for you.

If the neighbor says this, then don’t worry. It is not true. In this article, we will explore 100+ career Options after a Chemistry degree as well as the names of the companies hiring each profession. As a bonus, you will also come to know about the certifications one can do to put them out from the crowd.

All the career options that we will be discussing in this article will need a BSc in Chemistry, which I am sure you all have. So, doesn’t it mean that you have 100+ different career options to choose from?

Are you excited?  Come on, let’s explore them. chemistry career list

Let’s start with the basic options that one might be familiar with.

Analytical Chemist, Organic Chemist, Inorganic Chemist, Physical Chemist :

• An Analytical Chemist specializes in analyzing substances to understand their composition, often ensuring products meet quality standards and regulatory requirements. Organic Chemists study carbon-based compounds, focusing on creating and analyzing chemicals found in living organisms, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
• Inorganic Chemists deal with non-carbon compounds, examining metals, minerals, and industrial materials for applications in electronics, manufacturing, and more. Physical Chemists investigate the fundamental principles governing chemical reactions and properties, exploring the interactions and energy changes in matter.
• Certification that adds Priority: Instrumentation and Calibration, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer (CCHO), Certified Process Safety Professional (CCPSC), Laboratory Safety Certifications, Instrumentation and Analytical Chemistry Certifications
• Companies Hiring: Thermo Fisher, Agilent, Pfizer, Merck, Dow, Novartis, Johnson Matthey, BASF, DuPont, National Labs, NIST, IBM.

Medicinal Chemist:

• Medicinal chemistry involves designing and developing drugs by modifying or creating chemical compounds to treat diseases, aiming to improve their safety and efficacy for human use.
• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Certification, Drug Design and Discovery Certification, and Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Certification will help you get placed faster.
• GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and Roche hire Medicinal Chemist.

Table 1: List of Career Options after Chemistry degree

Petrochemical Engineer:

• A petrochemical engineer designs and oversees processes for converting raw materials, like oil and gas, into valuable chemical products and plastics, ensuring efficiency and safety.
• Chevron Phillips, Saudi Aramco, and ExxonMobil hires chemistry graduate as Petrochemical engineer. Professional Engineer (PE) licensure may be advantageous.

Computational Chemist:

• A computational chemist uses computer simulations and mathematical models to analyze and predict chemical reactions and properties, advancing research in drug development, materials science, and more.
• IBM Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory hires Computational chemists. Having certifications in computational chemistry will be an added advantage.

Table 2: Career Options after Chemistry degree with the name of the companies hiring each role.

Image: Career Options after chemistry with the companies hiring each post. chemistry career list

Radiochemist:

• A radiochemist is a scientist who specializes in studying the behavior and properties of radioactive materials, using their expertise to develop applications in fields like nuclear medicine, environmental monitoring, and nuclear energy. They work with radioactive isotopes, analyze their interactions, and ensure safety protocols are followed in handling and disposal.
• Radiochemistry certifications and radiation safety training will be added benefits.
• Research institutions and nuclear medicine companies hire Chemistry graduates for this post.

Plastics Engineer: 

• A plastic engineer designs develops, and oversees the production of plastic products and processes, ensuring they meet quality and performance standards.
• Plastic engineering certifications and safety training will be an added benefits. Plastic manufacturing companies, and the automotive industry will hire people for this post.

Table 3: Scope after Chemistry degree

Image: Career Options after chemistry degree.

Some of the other careers that one can choose after a chemistry degree are as follows:

• Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Drug Formulation Scientist
• Biocompatibility Specialist
• Wine Chemist
• Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
• Industrial Water Chemist
• Renewable Energy Engineer
• Aerospace Materials Engineer
• Packaging Scientist
• Food Safety Auditor
• Oil and Gas Exploration Chemist
• Radiation Therapist
• Plant Chemist
• Scientific Illustrator
• Hazardous Materials Chemist
• Dye Chemist
• Chemical Safety Trainer
• Commodity Trader
• Computational Material Scientist
• Chromatographer
• Chemical Safety Consultant
• Science Outreach Coordinator
• Archaeological Chemist

After reading this article, I hope you will now gain confidence in your degree. Chemistry is a huge field and has various career opportunities as listed in the article. It’s all up to the candidate to explore, find the right path, and get placed at top companies by acquiring proper certification courses.

100+ chemistry career list