Careers in Chemistry

There are several career pathways for those who major in Chemistry and Biochemistry. The main pathways include opportunities in industry, academia, and government. In addition to medicine and research, majors can have careers in fields such as patent law, food science, and forensics. Listed below are a few of the companies and agencies that hire chemists.

INDUSTRY

Chemical
Dow
DuPont

Pharmaceutical
Merck
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Novartis

Electronics
Rohm and Haas
Intel

Petrochemical
Exxon Mobil

Forensics
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

Consumer Products
Proctor & Gamble
Colgate
Kraft

Medical Products
Johnson & Johnson

ACADEMIA

Professor (Ph.D. granting university or 4-year college)

High school teacher
 

GOVERNMENT

National Laboratories
Brookhaven
Argonne
Oak Ridge
Sandia
Los Alamos

Forensics
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Environmental
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

USAJOBS.GOV
Careers
Student Employment
 

OTHER CAREERS (ADVANCED DEGREES NECESSARY)

Medicine
Dentistry
Pharmacy
Law - Intellectual Property and Patents
Marketing
Finance