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Chemistry

Industry Areas

Here are examples of industry areas students enter with this major, jobs/internships, typical employers that hire students, skills employers look for, and examples of where alumni work.  To find more information make an appointment with your career counselor/advisor.

Industry Areas for Chemistry
Industry|Employers
Job|Roles
Skills
Alumni

Any Chemistry Discipline

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Public health departments

Industries:

  • Chemical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Biotechnology
  • Food
  • Feed
  • Cosmetics
  • Agricultural
  • Environmental
  • Petroleum
  • Consumer products

• Private Research labs and organizations
• Colleges and universities
• Consulting firms

• Product Development
• Process Development
• Analysis
• Testing
• Biotechnology (using living organisms or cell processes to make useful products)
• Consulting
• Quality Assurance/Quality Control
• Management

• Flexibility
• Cross functional teamwork
• Analytical ability
• Communication skills
• Time and project management
• Technical and design (for research and manufacturing roles)
• Engineering coursework (for manufacturing based positions)

• Ram Consulting, Research Scientist
• Perstorp Coatings, Inc., Laboratory Manager
• Merck and Co., Research Scientist
• Pfizer, Sr. Director, Chemistry Advisor
• Standard & Poor's, Industry Analyst
• BASF The Chemical Company, Market Development
• The Scripps Research Institute
• NASA, Research Chemist

Agricultural Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Food and feed industries
• Agricultural chemical companies
• Plant and animal breeders and growers

• Agricultural Production: crops and livestock
• Agrichemicals Development: herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, etc.
• Agrichemicals Testing
• Environmental Testing
• Regulation

• Flexibility
• Cross functional teamwork
• Analytical ability
• Communication skills
• Time and project management
• Technical and design (for research and manufacturing roles)
• Engineering coursework (for manufacturing based positions)
• communication
• complex problem solving
• monitoring
• judgment and decision making
• coordination
• critical thinking
• analysis

• Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Markets at Environmental
• Defense Fund, Director
• Food and Nutrition Policy

Analytical Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Industries:

  • Chemical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Biotechnology
  • Food
  • Feed
  • Cosmetics
  • Agricultural
  • Environmental
  • Petroleum
  • Consumer products
  • Legal
  • Medical

• Private Research labs and organizations
• Chemical instrumentation companies
• Consulting firms

• Quantitative Analysis

• Qualitative Analysis
• Instrumentation Design
• Experimental Design
• Separations

• Flexibility
• Cross functional teamwork
• Analytical ability
• Communication skills
• Time and project management
• Technical and design (for research and manufacturing roles)
• Engineering coursework (for manufacturing based positions)
• Quantitative
• Analytical
• Research
• Detail-Oriented
• Management/Organizational
• Entrepreneurial
• Strong Work Ethic
• Presentation

• BAS, Laboratory Manager (Analytical Chemistry)

• Wako Life Sciences, Inc., Protein and Analytical Chemistry Scientist

Biochemistry

• Government agencies:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service

• Industries:

  • Chemical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Waste Management
  • Environmental
  • Food
  • Feed
  • Healthcare
  • Biotechnology
  • Plant and animal breeders and growers

• Private Research labs and organizations
• Public health departments
• Hospital laboratories
• Commercial medical laboratories

• Healthcare
• Pharmaceuticals
• Environment
• Agriculture
• Food Science
• Cosmetics
• Forensics

• Flexibility
• Cross functional teamwork
• Analytical ability
• Communication skills
• Time and project management
• Technical and design (for research and manufacturing roles)
• Engineering coursework (for manufacturing based positions)
• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• Illumina, Inc., Bioinformatics Scientist
• BioTechLogic, Senior Consultant
• Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, Medical Director, Genetics
• Synthetic Genomics, Consultant
• Novartis Genomics Institute, Scientist

Chemical Engineering

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture

• Industries:

  • Agrichemicals
  • Industrial bulk and fine chemicals
  • Food
  • Biotechnology
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Cosmetics
  • Environmental textiles
  • Petroleum
  • Consumer Products
  • Automotive
  • Pulp and paper
  • Rubber
  • Electronics
  • Plastics
  • Energy

• Private Research labs and organizations

• Bulk Chemicals (mass produced large quantities)
• Fine Chemicals (custom-produced small quantities)
• Consumer Products
• Biotechnology
• Pharmaceuticals
• Electronics
• Environmental Safety and Health
• Fuels and Energy Conversion
• Materials

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• Lonza, Engineering Scientist
• Caterpillar Inc, Engineering Specialist
• Northrop Grumman Corporation, Engineering Manager
• ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company, Research Assistant

Geochemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • U.S. Office of Surface Mining

• Environmental management firms
• Consulting firms
• Oceanographic research institutes
• Mining companies

• Analysis
• Testing
• Environmental Regulation
• Environmental Remediation

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles
• Quantitative
• Leadership
• Interest in Sustainability
• Project Management
• Problem solving

• US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protections Specialist
• United States Department of Energy, Environmental Scientist/Chemist
• Elevance Renewable Sciences, Catalyst Research Advisor

Inorganic Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Industries (inorganic materials):

  • Mining
  • Microchip
  • Computer manufacturers
  • Ceramics
  • Superconductive metals

• Private Research labs and organizations
• Environmental management firms
• Consulting firms

• Analysis
• Testing
• Synthesis
• Environmental Remediation
• Energy
• Information Technology
• Consumer Products

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• Desoto Inc, Project Chemist
• Argonne National Laboratory, Inorganic Materials Chemist
• 3M Company, Research Specialist
• StartX, StartX Med Lab Lead

Material Science

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Industries:

  • Automotive
  • Appliance
  • Electronic
  • Aerospace equipment
  • Machinery
  • Biomedical
  • Communications
  • Sporting goods
  • Security
  • Paint/coatings
  • Alternative energy production

• Private Research labs and organizations
• Airlines, railroads and utility companies

• Metallurgy
• Ceramics
• Plastics/Polymers
• Composites
• Semiconductors and Electronic Materials
• Optical Materials
• Biomaterials
• Nanomaterials
• Extraction/Synthesis
• Processing

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• General Electric, Materials Scientist
• Northwestern University - MCC - Materials Research Inst, • Research Associate
• EIE Materials, Inc., Cofounder & Chief Technology Officer
• Argonne National Laboratory, Inorganic Materials Chemist

Organic Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Industries:

  • Chemical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Biotechnology
  • Food
  • Feed
  • Cosmetics
  • Agriculture
  • Environment
  • Petroleum
  • Consumer product
  • Rubber
  • Plastics
  • Elastomers
  • Detergents
  • Paints/Coatings
  • Dyes

• Private Research labs and organizations

• Synthesis
• Healthcare
• Pharmaceuticals
• Materials Science
• Consumer Products
• Biotechnology
• Agrichemicals
• Food Science
• Fuels

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• Ashland Inc., Organic Chemist
• Procter & Gamble Company, Organic Chemist
• Ashland Inc., Organic Chemist
• University of Minnesota, Director, Organic Laboratory

Physical Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Industries:

  • Pharmaceutical
  • Electronics
  • Ceramics
  • Plastics
  • Surfactants and colloids
  • Environmental
  • Consumer Products

• Private Research labs and organizations

• Materials Science
• Chemical Biology
• Nanoscale Science
• Molecular Modeling
• Quantum Computing
• Biosensors

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• National Weather Service, Physical Scientist
• RAND Corporation, Associate Physical Scientist

Polymer Chemistry

• Government agencies:

  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Industries:

  • Adhesives
  • Paints/Coatings
  • Synthetic Rubber
  • Synthetic Fiber
  • Agricultural chemicals
  • Packaging
  • Automobile
  • Aerospace equipment
  • Biomedical

• Synthetic Macromolecules
• Biological Macromolecules
• Analysis
• Testing
• Blending
• Compounding
• Consumer Products

• organizational
• analytical thinking/problem solving
• communication
• teamwork
• knowledge in math, science and engineering principles

• OHMX Corporation, Synthetic Chemist

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

  • Research (32%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Healthcare Services (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)

Professional Associations