Where a chemist can go next
12 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a chemist already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Chemists perform laboratory research by testing and analysing the chemical structure of substances.They translate the research results into industrial production processes which are further used in the development or improvement of products. Chemists are also testing the quality of the manufactured products and their environmental impact.
Also known as chemistry technician, pharmacologist, chemical engineer, toxicologist, environmental chemist, inorganic chemist, forensic chemist, chemical analyst, biochemist, production chemist, industrial chemist, research chemist.
Professionals 96 skills on file 12 career moves 12 above 60% overlap Closest: analytical chemist, 76%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 1 · Within reach
- analytical chemist 76% covered · difficulty 38
- religion scientific researcher 74% covered · difficulty 34.6
- cosmetic chemist 74% covered · difficulty 38.4
- thanatology researcher 71% covered · difficulty 43.3
- philosopher 70% covered · difficulty 40.9
- palaeontologist 70% covered · difficulty 44
- astronomer 70% covered · difficulty 42.4
- seismologist 70% covered · difficulty 44.8
- toxicologist 67% covered · difficulty 49.5
- communication scientist 67% covered · difficulty 45.5
- oceanographer 66% covered · difficulty 46.5
- linguist 66% covered · difficulty 46.4
Table 2 · What the job itself asks for
A chemist needs 55 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- analyse chemical substances information skills
- translate formulae into processes information skills
- develop chemical products communication, collaboration and creativity
- apply liquid chromatography handling and moving
- inorganic chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- spectroscopy engineering, manufacturing and construction
- advise on chemical use reduction communication, collaboration and creativity
- oxidation natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- use chromatography software working with computers
- green chemistry engineering, manufacturing and construction
Look up another occupation
Chemist is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a chemist’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.