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What Can I do With a Degree in Chemistry?
Career Center Library Resources
The Career Center Library has a variety of resources to help students explore potential career fields. These resources include information about typical responsibilities, qualifications, career paths, job outlook, salary, and related careers.
Books Specifically Related to Chemistry Majors
- 100 Jobs in the Environment
- Jump Start Your Career in BioScience
- Real People Working in Science
Books of General Interest to Liberal Arts Majors
- Great Jobs for Liberal Arts Majors
- The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People
- Making a Living while Making a Difference
Vocational Biographies
Vocational Biographies describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n
- Chemical Engineer
- Microbiologist
- Pharmacist
- Cell Research Chemist
- American Association of Cereal Chemists
- American Association for Clinical Chemistry
- American Chemical Society (ACS) — ACS Portland Section; ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry
- The American Institute of Chemists
- Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC) — NEBC is a "regional trade association representing environmental technology and service firms". Membership Directory.
Internet Sites with Career-Related Information for Chemistry Majors
- College Majors and Career Opportunities - Chemistry — Lists related occupations and types of employers. From Career Services, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- Chemistry — Lists potential job titles and related skills. From the University Career and Employment Services at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
- What Can I do with a Major in...Chemistry — From the Career Services Office at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina. Includes a "representative sample of job titles of former [UNCW] chemistry majors."
- Chemists — From the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Careers in Chemistry — From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz.
- Chemistry Careers — Lists of potential job titles for persons with a chemistry degree from the Department of Chemistry and the Career Services Departments at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.
- Industrial Jobs for Chemistry Majors: What does a Chemist do in Industry — From Dr. Harry E. Pence, Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Oneonta.
- Careers in Cereal Chemistry — From the American Association of Cereal Chemists.
- What is Forensic Chemistry? — Brief description of forensic chemistry from the Forensic Chemistry Network.
- Chemistry: What Can I Do With This Major? — Outlines common career areas, identifies typical employers, and suggests general strategies to enhance employability. From Career Services at the University of Tennessee.
- Biochemistry: What Can I Do With This Major? — Outlines common career areas, identifies typical employers, and suggests general strategies to enhance employability. From Career Services at the University of Tennessee.
Internet Sites with Job Search Information for Chemistry Majors
- Top U.S. Chemical Companies — From Dr. Harry E. Pence, Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Oneonta. "This site provides a quick reference to the web sites of the top Industrial Chemical companies. The emphasis is on companies that have major operations in the U.S. and also provide web information on careers."
- Company Descriptions — From Chemical Week magazine. Brief descriptions with links to companies that produce, transport, and distribute chemicals.
- Lab Support — Temporary agency providing listings to laboratory jobs requiring A.S., B.S., or M.S. degrees.
- Sloan Career Cornerstone Center — Job listings for chemistry majors.
Places of Employment
Chemistry majors may find employment in a variety of areas depending on their skills and experience. Places of employment for chemists include private industry (pharmaceutical, chemical, food manufacturing); environmental testing and research laboratories; biotechnology firms; federal, state, and local government agencies; and educational institutions. Career-related internships or career-related part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment after graduation.
The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested chemistry majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for chemistry majors. This list does not reflect current openings.
- AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. — Environmental Chemist/Data Management, Site Assessor/Field Scientist - Entry Level
- APTIV, Inc. — Laboratory Manager
- Armstrong World Industries, Inc. — Process Engineer
- Ash Grove Cement Company — Chemical Analyst
- Cascade Environmental Services, Inc. — Technical Report Writer
- Cascade Microtech, Inc. — Chemical Process Technician
- Cascadia Community College — Chemistry Faculty
- ChemPoint.com — Industry Representative
- City of Hillsboro — Water Distribution Operator IV
- City of Lebanon — Environmental Specialist
- City of Salem — Hazardous Materials Program Manager, Water Treatment Plant Operator, Principal Planner
- City of Tigard — Water Quality Program Coordinator/Volunteer Coordinator (Storm Water emphasis)
- Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Oregon — Production Qualtiy Assurance Tech
- Cowlitz County — Environmental Health Specialist 1-2
- Environmental Services Laboratory — Sample Receiving
- Exelixis, Inc. — Research Assistant
- FEI — Manufacturing Technician
- Golden Temple — Research & Development Tecnologist
- HSBC USA — Customer Information Management Analyst
- ICD High Performance Coatings — Chemist
- Intel Corporation — Semiconductor Manufacturing Technicians
- Kraft Foods, Inc. — Quality Systems Supervisor
- Lake Oswego School District — Chemistry Teacher
- Lattice Semiconductor Corporation — Assembly Engineer I
- Marion Soil and Water Conservation District — Conserviation Outreach Technician
- Merix Corporation — Laboratory Technician I/II
- Micron Technology, Inc. — FAB Engineer
- Momentive Performance Materials — Construction Account Manager
- Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) — Science Lab Coordinator
- National Pesticide Information Center — Faculty Research Assistant
- Nike, Inc. — Senior Lab Technician
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) — Natural Resource Specialist 4 - Environmental Toxicologist, Chemist 1 - Incorganic Chemist, Chemist 1 - Organic Chemist
- Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) — Laboratory Aide, Clinical Trials Research Coordinator
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) — Lead Educator-Cheminstry Lab
- Oregon State University (OSU) — Research Associate - Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Opti-MS Corporation — Instrument Fabricator
- PED Manufacturing, Ltd. — Process Engineer/Investing & Wax
- Pendleton Woolen Mills — Chemist
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) — Laboratory Technician
- Proteome Software, Inc. — Bioinformatics
- Rippey Commercial — Technician
- SAIF Corporation — Industrial Hygiene Technician
- Schreiber Foods, Inc. — Production Team Advisor
- Schrodinger, Inc. — Technical/Marketing Writer, Licensing Associate
- Secure Materials, LLC — Chemical Laboratory Technicia
- Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe — Chemist
- Sony Disc Manufacturing — Environmental & Safety Engineer
- Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) — Analyst II-1 GC Operator, Team Leader II-2 Air Monitoring/Chemica, Lead Chemist-1 Analytical Laboratory
- TCI America — Production Chemist
- URS Corporation — Graduate Database Specialist
- US Customs and Border Protection — Agriculture Specialist
- US Department of the Interior — Physical Science
- US Fish and Wildlife Service — Fish and Wildlife Biologist
- US Forest Service — Geographic Information Systems Specialist
- WaferTech — Quality Contril Chemical Lab Technician, Chemical Analysis Lab Intern
- Western Biochemical Consulting, Inc. — Agricultural Research/Field Survey Assistant
- Wy'East Environmental Sciences, Inc. — Chemical Laboratory Technician, Analytical Chemist
- Xerox Corporation — Process Development Engineer, Quality Control Lab Technicians, Chemist
- Employment Outlook — Article by Michael Heylin in Chemical and Engineering News on salaries for chemists.
- Employment Outlook — Article by Mairin B. Brennan in Chemical and Engineering News on the employment outlook for chemists.
- State of Oregon job specifications for Chemist 1, Chemist 2, and Chemist 3.
Department of Chemistry - Portland State University
