| Related Jobs |  | Biologist, Technician, Biological, Scientist, Medical, Technician, Chemical |
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| Job Outlook | | Employment of chemists and materials scientists is expected to grow 9 percent over the 2006-16 decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur in professional, scientific, and technical services firms as manufacturing companies continue to outsource their R&D and testing services firms.
The chemical industry, the major employer of chemists, should face continued demand for goods such as new and better pharmaceuticals and personal care products, as well as for more specialty chemicals designed to address specific problems or applications. To meet these demands, chemical firms will continue to devote money to research and development-through in-house teams or outside contractors -- spurring employment growth of chemists. Strong demand is expected for chemists with a master's or Ph.D. degree.
Within the chemical industry, job opportunities are expected to be most plentiful in pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. Biotechnological research, including studies of human genes, continues to offer possibilities for the development of new drugs and products to combat illnesses and diseases which have previously been unresponsive to treatments derived by traditional chemical processes. Research and testing firms will experience healthy growth. Chemists also will be needed to develop and improve the technologies and processes used to produce chemicals for all purposes.
Chemists and materials scientists held about 93,000 jobs in 2006. Over half of all chemists are employed in manufacturing firms -- mostly in the chemical manufacturing industry. Chemists also work for State and local governments and for federal agencies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (which includes the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Center for Disease Control) is the major gederal employer of chemists. The Departments of Defense and Agriculture andthe Environmental Protection Agency also employ chemists. Other chemists work for research, development, and testing services. In addition, thousands of persons with a background in chemistry and materials science hold teaching positions in high schools and in colleges and universities. Chemists and materials scientists are employed in all parts of the country, but they are mainly concentrated in large industrial areas. |
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| More Information | | American Chemical Society |
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| References | | Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Chemists and Materials Scientists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos049.htm
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