By: Bo Broadnax

What is involved with the work  Chemists often work in teams with other chemists, chemical engineers, and chemical technicians.  Chemists work for private companies in a variety of industries.  They are employed in plants that make plastics, textiles, cosmetics, and chemicals.  They work in fields such as petroleum refining, mining, food processing, and water and sewage treatment.

Where does the work take place?  More than half of all chemists work in research and development. Some chemists are involved in basic research and try to gain knowledge about substances.  They also study the ways these substances combine and react with each other.  Basic research often leads to the development of new products.  For example, research into the formation of larger molecules from the union of smaller ones led to the development of synthetic plastics.  Other research chemists work on more practical or domestic problems.  For instance, they may work to develop a fabric that will not burn, soil, or wrinkle easily.  They must often perform many laboratory tests before they are able to create the desired product.

What are the working conditions  Many chemists work in production and quality control.  They may work with chemical engineers to develop exact instructions for mixing the ingredients needed to produce huge vats of paint in a paint factory.  Chemists involved in quality control may supervise the testing of samples of this paint to make sure that it satisfies certain standards.  There are several special fields of chemistry.  Organic chemists specialize in compounds that contain the element carbon.  These compounds include animal and vegetable matter, plastics, and other substances.

What is the size of the occupation. How many people are working in this field  There are thousands of people working in this field.

What type of training is needed to enter this field  To enter this field you will need a master’s or doctoral degree

What are the possibilities of moving to a higher position (being promoted).  In this field you could stay at what job level you are or you could get promoted to a higher level.  If you get promoted, then you will earn more income.

What can you expect to earn when you start? What can you expect to earn after 10 years?  You can expect to earn around $56,060 when you start.  After 10 years You can expect to earn about $560,000

What are the future prospects of the job? Is the field growing?  The future employment prospects of this career are fair.  You can get employed easily

How do you use writing and/or speaking skills in this field?  Communicating with fellow chemists, communicating with the employer.