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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

American Chemical Society
American Academy of Forensic Science
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Crop Life America
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Society for Materials International
POLYED: National Center for Polymer Education
National Association of Science Writers
Society for Technical Communication
Special Libraries Association