Is Chemistry a Dead-End Career or a Promising Path?

[bael]

I've been reading a lot over the internet that chemistry is a dead end career, and that it will be very hard to find a job with a chemistry degree. My dad on the other hand says that I should be able to find a great job as a chemist because there is a need for scientists in the US (He is an electrical engineer so I generally believe him when it comes to these things). PF, I would like to hear your opinions on this matter. I like chemistry and I am doing good in all my chem classes but I see no point in getting a BSc in a field that won't even have jobs. So, what do you think? Will I be able to make a living as a chemist? Should I switch majors?

 

[Highway]

what would you want to switch to?

also, what are your thoughts on grad school? a masters in chemistry would be pretty baller as far as career prospects go. . . other than that what do you like in chemistry? organic? materials?

my ochem professor always told us that people with a phd in organic will make more money than a doctor...

 

[lisab]

My opinion is based on my own experiences and observations, so take it as-is.

Chemistry is a very difficult field right now. Many jobs followed manufacturing as it shifted overseas. It used to be fairly easy to pick up a standard lab job that paid well without much effort; now they are rare, and the pay can be pretty low (last job I saw advertised in my area was a night shift position offering $17/hour).

I think your dad is remembering the "good-old days". The job market is different now.

I'm in the south-of-Seattle area, btw.

The good news is, there seems to be plenty of jobs in biochemistry. Might you consider shifting your studies toward that field?

 

[sandy.bridge]

Moreover, have you considered Chemical Engineering?

 

[bael]

what would you want to switch to?

I honestly have no idea what else I would do. Maybe something along the lines of computer programming.

also, what are your thoughts on grad school? a masters in chemistry would be pretty baller as far as career prospects go. . . other than that what do you like in chemistry? organic? materials?

I was actually considering o-chem but I haven't taken the class yet so I really can't say for sure. This is my first year as a chem major so I haven't been exposed to all the different fields of chemistry yet.

 

[bael]

I think your dad is remembering the "good-old days". The job market is different now.

Ha, probably. He is old-fashioned like that.

The good news is, there seems to be plenty of jobs in biochemistry. Might you consider shifting your studies toward that field?

That seems strange to me that the chemistry field is so bad yet the biochemistry field is doing well. I always thought that a chemist and a biochemist did nearly the same thing.

 

[Highway]

i def wouldn't switch to biochem, if anything, chemical engineering would be the most practical. but honestly, it's ****ing difficult.

what are your thoughts on physics and calc so far? because che is a lot of both.

 

[bael]

i def wouldn't switch to biochem, if anything, chemical engineering would be the most practical. but honestly, it's ****ing difficult.

what are your thoughts on physics and calc so far? because che is a lot of both.

I know chemical engineering is very difficult, that's why I would never do it lol. I looked at my school's curriculum for chem engineering and it was pretty ridiculous. Another reason why I wouldn't do it is because you don't learn as much chemistry, it's more engineering courses.

 

[QuarkCharmer]

If you are worried about job outlook, you should check out:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes192031.htm

If you haven't taken Organic yet, then you really haven't done "chemistry". What makes you think that you would like it in the first place?

 

[juanrga]

I've been reading a lot over the internet that chemistry is a dead end career, and that it will be very hard to find a job with a chemistry degree. My dad on the other hand says that I should be able to find a great job as a chemist because there is a need for scientists in the US (He is an electrical engineer so I generally believe him when it comes to these things). PF, I would like to hear your opinions on this matter. I like chemistry and I am doing good in all my chem classes but I see no point in getting a BSc in a field that won't even have jobs. So, what do you think? Will I be able to make a living as a chemist? Should I switch majors?

I have been reading over the internet that Earth is flat... well now seriously. Virtually all of the modern world is related to chemistry. Take a look to what chemists are doing today

http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/careers/whatchemistsdo/careers/index.htm