How to become a chemical scientist
Official title: Chemical scientists
Also called: Scientist, Chemical analyst, Research scientist, Chemical consultant, Lab analyst, Section head, Chief analyst, Chief chemist, Shift chemist, Works chemist, County analyst, Public analyst
Chemical scientists analyse and research physical aspects of chemical structure and change within substances and develop chemical techniques used in the manufacture or modification of natural substances and processed products.
Main tasks
- Develops experimental procedures, instruments and recording and testing systems
- Operates specialised scientific equipment and conducts experiments to identify chemical composition, energy and chemical changes in natural substances and processed materials
- Analyses results and experimental data
- Tests techniques and processes for reliability under a variety of conditions
- Develops procedures for quality control of manufactured products
How to become one
Entrants usually possess a degree. Entry may also be possible with an appropriate BTEC/SQA award, an Advanced GNVQ/GSVQ level III, or other academic qualifications. Further specialist training is provided on the job. Some employers may expect entrants to gain professional qualifications.
Ways in
- University: Science degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £39,983 a year The middle half earn £32,729 to null.
- About 41,600 people work in this job now, and about 46,200 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)
Related jobs
- Biological scientists
- Biochemists and biomedical scientists
- Physical scientists
- Social and humanities scientists
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Questions people ask
How do I become a chemical scientist?
Entrants usually possess a degree. Entry may also be possible with an appropriate BTEC/SQA award, an Advanced GNVQ/GSVQ level III, or other academic qualifications. Further specialist training is provided on the job. Some employers may expect entrants to gain professional qualifications.
How much does a chemical scientist earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £39,983 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a chemical scientist a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 41,600 to about 46,200 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a chemical scientist?
Usually. 89% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.