Chemistry major

[Anonymous]

Can anyone inform me and my HS senior daughter about career paths for an undergrad degree in Chemistry? We assume grad school might be required but are there good job prospects? She is also considering engineering programs largely because she loves STEM and knows engineering job prospects are good but she really doesn’t know much about the life of an engineer (other than through Internet research). She seems to be more interested in studying Chemistry (and maybe also Math) rather than Engineering. Thank you for any guidance!

[Anonymous]

This site will at least give you a sense of the range of employers and what degree is required.

https://www.chemistryjobs.com/

My daughter really enjoyed Chemistry in college (even Organic Chemistry!) She found it to be much more interesting than it was in high school.

[Anonymous]

What about Chemical Engineering?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Chemical Engineering?

She is definitely considering that but, at this point, she still seems more interested in the study of Chemistry (if there is a career path).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This site will at least give you a sense of the range of employers and what degree is required.

https://www.chemistryjobs.com/

My daughter really enjoyed Chemistry in college (even Organic Chemistry!) She found it to be much more interesting than it was in high school.

Thanks! We will check that site out. Is your daughter majoring in Chemistry?

[Anonymous]

If your daughter is not aiming for post grad, most jobs involve something lab related - but those jobs are competitive to get. My daughter has a friend who just graduated with a Chem degree (pre-med but changed his mind) and his best option was to go work at target as a manager. Not a slacker, great gpa. The pay was much better than the lab jobs he was offered. Seems ok about it, but wishes he had chosen something else to major in. Career prospects would improve greatly with a chemical engineering degree.

[Anonymous]

Career prospects aren't good for chemical engineering degree either. The US has no industrial base.

The path would generally be medical school or Ph.D.
Ph.D is not worth it unless its a top graduate program.
Medical school is worth for any school in the US

[Anonymous]

Provided willing to take on debt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This site will at least give you a sense of the range of employers and what degree is required.

https://www.chemistryjobs.com/

My daughter really enjoyed Chemistry in college (even Organic Chemistry!) She found it to be much more interesting than it was in high school.

Thanks! We will check that site out. Is your daughter majoring in Chemistry?

No bio.

But interestingly, she has had two female chem professors who said they initially struggled with chemistry and then fell in love with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Career prospects aren't good for chemical engineering degree either. The US has no industrial base.

The path would generally be medical school or Ph.D.
Ph.D is not worth it unless its a top graduate program.
Medical school is worth for any school in the US

Oil industry
Pharmaceutical
Government FDA and more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Career prospects aren't good for chemical engineering degree either. The US has no industrial base.

The path would generally be medical school or Ph.D.
Ph.D is not worth it unless its a top graduate program.
Medical school is worth for any school in the US

Oil industry
Pharmaceutical
Government FDA and more

Chemical engineering is one of the highest paid engineering degrees. It's a great job market.

I am a chemistry major and went on to get my PhD in chemistry. Job prospects are limited with just a chem BS. You are expected to get a PhD (fully funded) if you want to work as a chemist. Many chemistry majors also go to medical school, pharmacy school, and MBA, or law school, but a chem BS isn't limiting without grad school.

Your daughter should look for chemistry programs where she will be grouped with other chem majors and not all of the premeds. She will get much more 1:1 interactions and get to know other students who actually enjoy chemistry, rather than being surrounded by box checkers who are constantly stressing about their grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Career prospects aren't good for chemical engineering degree either. The US has no industrial base.

The path would generally be medical school or Ph.D.
Ph.D is not worth it unless its a top graduate program.
Medical school is worth for any school in the US

Oil industry
Pharmaceutical
Government FDA and more

Chemical engineering is one of the highest paid engineering degrees. It's a great job market.

I am a chemistry major and went on to get my PhD in chemistry. Job prospects are limited with just a chem BS. You are expected to get a PhD (fully funded) if you want to work as a chemist. Many chemistry majors also go to medical school, pharmacy school, and MBA, or law school, but a chem BS isn't limiting without grad school.

Your daughter should look for chemistry programs where she will be grouped with other chem majors and not all of the premeds. She will get much more 1:1 interactions and get to know other students who actually enjoy chemistry, rather than being surrounded by box checkers who are constantly stressing about their grades.

*a chem BS is limiting without grad school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone inform me and my HS senior daughter about career paths for an undergrad degree in Chemistry? We assume grad school might be required but are there good job prospects? She is also considering engineering programs largely because she loves STEM and knows engineering job prospects are good but she really doesn’t know much about the life of an engineer (other than through Internet research). She seems to be more interested in studying Chemistry (and maybe also Math) rather than Engineering. Thank you for any guidance!

There are so many options for chemistry majors other than a lab or med school. I have only a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and make over 130k a year and never worked a day in a lab. I did intern but that taught me what I didn’t want to do.

Most people who work in labs after college are working towards grad school. Other lab techs have lesser degrees.

My HS teacher had a PHD and worked for a time at a large paint company developing paint compositions. Large food production companies employ chemists for food chemistry. Oil and gas industry (more likely chemical engineering).

Then there’s Patent Law or the Patent Office, which will pay for law school. Most law firms want a PhD in chemistry but they could also go into Medical malpractice or public health policy. Lobbying for chemistry industries.

Then there are forensic positions, CIA, and FBI analysts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Chemical Engineering?

She is definitely considering that but, at this point, she still seems more interested in the study of Chemistry (if there is a career path).

There is a path but much more narrow than ChemE.

[Anonymous]

My first job out of college was in biotech. I had a BS in biology and the college grads with a bs in chemical engineering started with 10-15k more. I’ve worked with chemistry majors. Their first jobs were usually at places like US Pharmacopeia or a product development lab at companies like 3M.
It’s true that the starting salaries aren’t that high, but I’d be surprised someone would choose to work at Target instead.
I’d say that doing a summer internship is important, even if it’s unpaid. I did a short paid stint at a quality control lab in a Nestle factory.

I’d say it’s pretty easy to find an entry level lab job through a staffing company like Medix or Aerotek. Moving up requires getting a graduate degree.