Better salaries and employment prospects for US chemists

Each year the American Chemical Society surveys its members to gain a snapshot of their employment and salaries. This year’s survey has found that 2013 is looking much better for chemists and chemical engineers in the US as both employment and salaries are increasing.

Sadly, the position for women is not nearly as rosy as for men as the median annual base salary for women was US$79,500 compared to $100,000 for men.

Industry is still the most profitable place to work at $106,600, just a snitch ahead of government at $105,200. Academia is still the lowest paid area at $74,100. Chemical engineers still earn more than chemists.

As you would anticipate, the higher the qualification the higher the salary - with PhDs leading the pack.

Full-time employment for chemists is at its highest level in five years, while the percentage of part-time chemists declined. In fact, unemployment fell across all degree levels and is down to levels not seen since 2008-2009. The median salary is up from last year’s dip. Some areas of concern remain, however. Men continue to make more money than women. Geographical differences in salaries and job opportunities persist. Also, the article points out that some chemists might have given up on their job search and dropped out of the unemployment formula altogether.

Aside from salary and employment rates, this year’s survey also probed how globalisation is affecting chemists in the US. It found that nearly one-fifth of ACS members have a native language other than English and nearly two-thirds of industry respondents had worked across international borders in the month before the survey, suggesting the importance of global experience in this sector.

A full rundown of the survey results can be found in the ACS’s weekly newsmagazine Chemical & Engineering News.