Most of these chemists have Ph.D.'s in an uncertain job probability. Chemists in the oil and petroleum industry work with crude oil and the products derived from it. They work mostly in labs using their skills in analytical chemistry and organic chemistry, and are practical people who are interested in solving problems. These chemists are more interested in the development of scientific products rather than in pure science. A Ph.D. is necessary in the highly competitive job market of oil and petroleum scientists.
Polymer chemistry is mainly the study and synthesis of large, complex molecules.
They work to develop functional characteristics in an end product by manipulating the molecular structure. These chemists spend most of their time in the lab making materials. They are trained in organic chemistry and primarily have Ph.D.'s. The hiring of polymer chemists is currently competitive. Finally, chemical sales and marketing is an industry where scientists interact with customers on specific product issues and focus on research needs.