How To Become A Development Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a development scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

Development scientists are responsible for using the knowledge of various sciences to develop new products, such as foods, drugs, and medical technologies, along with conducting researches to develop ways to enhance existing products. They review existing products and processes, identify gaps and faults with the current models, and then developing new products and processes that solve the problem.

Development scientists work in the manufacturing and production sector, and they develop all kinds of products. They may develop new flavors of sports drinks, a new medical device that is used during operations, or a new flavor of food. They may also improve how a product is packaged, shipped, or stored.

Development scientists typically hold a bachelor's degree in any scientific or engineering discipline. However, studying chemistry, physics, or electrical, electronic, or mechanical engineering can give candidates an edge. Pursuing a relevant MSc or Ph.D. can do a candidate a world of good in this field as it is a rapidly growing profession, and as such, it is competitive.

What general advice would you give to a Development Scientist?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreDevelopment ScientistUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $92,514

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.3

Growth Rate 17%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.37%

Black or African American 6.38%

Hispanic or Latino 9.62%

Unknown 4.11%

White 53.37%

Gender

female 44.16%

male 55.84%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress Level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a development scientist

Explore development scientist education requirements

Most common development scientist degrees

Bachelor's

65.1 %

Doctorate

15.8 %

Master's

13.7 %

Start to develop specific development scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Chemistry	9.53%
Data Analysis	6.90%
GMP	5.18%
HPLC	3.65%
QC	3.23%

Complete relevant development scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New development scientists 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 development scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real development scientist resumes.

Research development scientist duties and responsibilities

Lead group in performing sample preparation and delivering DNA conjugate beads for sequencing on novel NGS platform.
Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Develop and validate a host cell protein ELISA method for drug substance and in-process samples.
Develop qualification protocols (IQ/OQ/PQ) for process and packaging equipment.

Prepare your development scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your development scientist 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 development scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Development Scientist Resume templates

Build a professional Development Scientist 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 Development Scientist resume.

Apply for development scientist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a development scientist 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 development scientists rate their job?

-/5

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Development Scientist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Science of observation

Cons

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