How To Become A Chemical Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chemical analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Dan Little Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a chemical analyst. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.85 an hour? That's $53,769 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 2,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Chemical Analyst?

Dan Little Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Ohio Dominican University

Due to the pandemic, it will likely be more complicated than usual to find a job right away in the current economic situation. Companies are probably weighing the pros and cons of remaining open at all right now, so the prospect of filling vacant positions is secondary. But don't panic! Keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. Personal connections can be the best path to unexpected career opportunities.

ScoreChemical AnalystUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,769

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.9

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 8.98%

Black or African American 7.13%

Hispanic or Latino 16.20%

Unknown 4.25%

White 63.03%

Gender

female 43.20%

male 56.80%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chemical analyst

Explore chemical analyst education requirements

Most common chemical analyst degrees

Bachelor's

76.4 %

Master's

9.0 %

Associate

8.7 %

Start to develop specific chemical analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Lab Equipment	17.60%
Analytical Methods	8.95%
Analytical Procedures	6.19%
PH Meter	5.17%
HPLC	4.25%

Complete relevant chemical analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chemical analysts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chemical analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chemical analyst resumes.

Research chemical analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage the scheduling and the FTIR analysis for all blend protocol gases.
Manage daily production schedule, monitor machine operation, addressed any etching machinery problems.
Perform finish product and release testing for prescription drugs in the pharmaceutical industry using UV/VIS, UV/PDA, and HPLC.
Develop, validate and support transfer of stability-indicative methods for solid and liquid dosage forms using HPLC, GC and GC/MS.

Prepare your chemical analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chemical analyst resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chemical analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Chemical Analyst Resume templates

Build a professional Chemical Analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Chemical Analyst resume.

Apply for chemical analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a chemical analyst job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do chemical analysts rate their job?