What will I earn?

• The 2023 What Do Graduates Do report showed that the average salary for chemistry graduates six months after graduation was £25,593. Chemistry graduates had the highest levels of full-time employment (55%), although this was comparable for all science subjects (physics, biology, sports science).
• The Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2021 Pay & Reward survey showed a median salary of £46,700 for member-respondents*. Early career members earned a median salary of £34,000. The chemical sciences offers a high level of job security and stability with 70% of respondents saying they felt secure in their current job (up from 65% in 2019).
• Nearly 36% of all chemistry graduates in 2022/23 became science professionals or associate professionals and technicians with the top five jobs including: chemical scientist, laboratory technicians, secondary teachers, management consultants and business analysts, and Chartered and certified accountants. 21.5% went onto further study to gain a master’s, PhD or postgraduate diploma or certificate (such as PGCE). Science graduates are in demand in sectors that seek to solve some of the biggest challenges that we face, such as human healthcare and environmental degradation, as we seek a sustainable future.
• The contribution (direct, indirect and induced) of chemistry-using professionals to UK GDP was estimated to be £87 billion in 2019.
• There are estimated to have been 275,000 chemistry-using jobs in the UK in 2019, with a further 425,000 jobs supported by this workforce throughout the UK economy. See Chemistry’s Contribution: Workforce trends and economic impact

Salaries depend on a large number of factors, including qualifications required, location, experience, size and type of the organisation.

Useful websites to find out more about chemistry jobs and salaries

• Chemistry World Jobs
• Payscale.com
• Glassdoor
• LinkedIn

*Results based on 4,298 members of the Royal Society of Chemistry who responded to the 2021 survey with profiles representative of current membership.

Updated April 2023