Most of those are in the chemical manufacturing industry, which includes firms that produce plastics and synthetic materials, drugs, soaps and cleaners, paints, industrial organic chemicals and other chemical products. Chemists also work for state and local governments, primarily in health and agriculture, and for Federal agencies, chiefly in the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture. Others work for research and testing services. In addition, thousands of persons hold faculty positions as chemistry instructors in colleges. Chemists are employed in all parts of the country, but the majority are concentrated in large industrial areas.
Chemists usually work in offices and laboratories.
Research chemists spend considerable time in the lab but also work in offices when they do theoretical research or plan, record and report their findings. A Bachelor s Degree in Chemistry or a related discipline is usually the minimum education necessary to work as a chemist, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. However, many, if not most, research jobs require a Ph.D. degree. In addition to required courses in analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, the curriculum for undergraduate chemistry majors usually includes biological sciences, mathematics and physics. Computer courses are invaluable, as employers increasingly prefer job applicants to be not only computer literate but also able to apply computer skills to modeling and simulation tasks.