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Who is a Chemist?
For many centuries chemists labored to change lead into precious gold, and eventually found that precious uranium turned to lead without any human effort at all ~ Isaac Asimov
Chemists apply their expertise in chemistry to enhance human life, working on products like medicines, cosmetics, and synthetic fibres. They play a key role in processes such as oil refining and petrochemical production, focusing on reducing pollution and energy consumption.
Specialisations in chemistry include analytical, physical, theoretical, macromolecular, medical, organic, and material chemistry. To become a chemist and druggist in India, you can pursue courses like B. Pharma or B. Tech in Biotechnology.
Chemist in a Nutshell
A chemist conducts research, develops new chemical products, and ensures safety by analyzing substances. They work in laboratories across industries like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and academia. Key tasks include designing experiments, documenting findings, and ensuring product safety. A bachelor's degree in chemistry is essential, with advanced degrees required for higher positions in research or academia.
Quick Facts for Chemist
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Industry
Healthcare
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Average Salary in India
₹21500
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Suitable for
Male, Female
A career as a chemist is suitable for everyone regardless of their gender. Candidates should have an extreme passion for chemistry. They should be curious about experimenting with chemicals to develop useful products that improve the living standards of humans.
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Any special needs
No
A candidate’s special needs may cause hindrance in his or her career growth. A career as a chemist is full of challenges. He or she has to research and experiment on various chemicals. It may also involve harmful chemicals that may turn hazardous to one’s health. It is compulsory to follow the safety guidelines while performing research and experiment in a laboratory.
Table of Contents for Chemist
What is the role of Chemist?
Are you thinking how to become a chemist without a degree or how to become a chemist after 12th then we have answers for all of your queries throughout the article. In this particular section, we will be discussing what does a chemist do. People in chemist jobs possess a vast knowledge of chemistry and various chemicals. They develop new products and test new methods. Chemists are responsible for providing instructions for chemical testing and procedure methods. These instructions include mixing times, operating temperatures, ingredients, and preparation of compounds, reagents, and solutions required in laboratory procedures.
Chemists analyse various substances and compounds to find their composition. They assure chemical safety by testing substances. Chemists provide their findings to stakeholders, engineers, scientists and their colleagues. So, if you want to learn how to become a chemist and what does it take to become one, then read the entire article to get all the answers.
Analysis
A chemist is responsible for performing research projects. He or she develops new products and tests new methods. A chemist is responsible for conducting a study on various chemical compounds to develop new and effective processes and products.
Documentation
A chemist is responsible for documenting the various research processes and procedures with their accurate findings. He or she is responsible for measuring accurate time and the reaction of various chemicals. A chemist attentively documents mixing times, operating temperatures, and other ingredients. He or she writes technical reports to present their findings to scientists, engineers and their colleagues.
Experimenting
A chemist is responsible for preparing compounds, solutions and reagents used in the laboratory for conducting research. He or she analyses various substances to find their composition. A chemist is responsible for testing various substances and materials for chemical safety.
Give instructions
A chemist provides instructions to patients for the safe use of drugs. He or she utilises his knowledge and identifies the error made by physicians in prescribing the medicines and provides the appropriate drug. A chemist also communicates with physicians to understand the treatment of patients. He or she provides instruction for the intake of the appropriate dosage of medicines. He or she provides instructions for experimentation and safe handling of chemicals.
Types of a Chemist
Below, we have mentioned some different types of chemist or chemist career options in India.
Forensic chemist: A forensic chemist is a research professional responsible for analysing non-biological trace evidence found at crime scenes. He or she identifies unfamiliar materials and matches samples to familiar or known substances.
Physical chemist: A physical chemist is a research professional involved in the study of fundamental characteristics of how chemical reactions occur. He or she conducts a study to analyse how matter interacts on a molecular and atomic level. Physical chemist provides new theories that may include how complex structures are formed.
Organic chemist: An organic chemist is a research professional involved in the study and analysis of properties, structure and reactions of molecules that contain carbon. He or she is responsible for designing and developing new organic substances with unique properties.
Biochemist: Biochemists study the behaviour of living things at a molecular level to understand the processes that occur. Individuals who have opted for careers as biochemists study how pharmaceutical drugs and food affect an organism’s biology. Biochemist education requirements include the study of various applications in medicine, agriculture, and the environment to improve our quality of life.
Medicinal chemist: A medicinal chemist is a research professional who is responsible for developing chemical compounds or pharmaceutical drugs to provide treatment for various diseases. He or she provides support in developing improved manufacturing processes to produce drugs on a large scale.
What is the workplace/work environment of Chemist like?
Individuals who opt for a career as a chemist work in pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, testing laboratories, offices, chemical manufacturing companies and academic institutions such as colleges and universities. Individuals work in areas related to research and development in physical, engineering and life sciences. Chemists provide their services to both government and private organisations. Chemists are employed in research laboratories run by the federal government, state government and local government also.
Does Chemist require travelling?
Likely
A career as a chemist requires them to work in chemical manufacturing companies and may occasionally require them to travel nationally and internationally to attend conferences and for research purposes.
Employment Shifts
Full Time
A career as a chemist requires working full-time. Part-time, hourly basis, on-call or work from home is not provided in this profession. A chemist’s career requires a firm commitment to work responsibilities. A little mismanagement could turn hazardous. Chemists have to work with various chemicals and attentively monitor the timing of processes. That is why the profession suits full-time committed candidates.
Employment Nature
Contractual, Permanent
A career as a chemist requires providing their services on both types of employment contractual and permanent. The duration of the contractual term entirely depends on the requirements of the organisation. The contractual term’s duration might get extended depending on the work performance of a candidate.
Work Place
Chemists work mostly in laboratories, where they do research and conduct experiments. As a result, they must spend the majority of their time indoors. Pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, hospitals, physicians' offices, and drug stores are all venues where chemists can work. Nursing homes, poison control centres, critical care units, cardiac care units, and other healthcare facilities employ chemists.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
A career as a chemist has good employment opportunities in urban and semi-urban areas. There are negligible opportunities for chemists in rural areas. Mumbai, New Delhi, Gurugram and Kolkata provide good opportunities for chemists. The head offices of most of the chemical companies are located in these cities.
Time Pressure
Working as a chemist entails working under time constraints and meeting tight deadlines. Chemists are responsible for supervising and verifying the work of their team members in addition to conducting research and work.
Overtime Details
Working as a chemist requires you to work long hours on various occasions. He or she normally works for eight to nine hours per day. During an emergency, it may be necessary to labour 10 to 12 hours per day. Chemists must also work long hours in order to satisfy drug development deadlines.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 45 Hours
Chemists require working 9 hours a day or 45 hours a week. Sometimes, they may require to perform overtime to ensure the completion of a project before its deadline.
How to become a Chemist?
Steps to become a Chemist
If you are interested in performing research and experiments in chemistry, want to develop new products, and want to find out the chemical compositions of different substances, then a career as a chemist is the best career option for you. Here, we have mentioned the detailed procedure for how to become a chemist in India after your 10+2.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Chemist?
If you want to know how to become a chemist and druggist then you should keep reading this article, a career as a chemist. Below, we have mentioned the skills that are required for chemist jobs.
Time Management: Individuals who opt for a career as a chemist have to manage time between various experiments and ensure the successful completion of a project before its deadline. He or she has to attentively monitor procedures and record time. A little mismanagement of time would give less accurate results or sometimes ineffective results that could not be considered.
Problem-Solving Ability: Individuals in chemist jobs require to identify the problem and provide the best possible solution to resolve the problem. He or she evaluates the effectiveness of each solution before applying it. A chemist provides the most effective solution to the problem.
Communication skills: A chemist must be able to communicate effectively. He or she should be able to clearly write the procedure or method for documentation. A chemist must be able to convey his or her ideas to other team members through verbal and written communication. He or she should be able to understand what another team member is saying or trying to convey ideas.
Organising Skills: A chemist has to analyse numerous data to predict the procedures, methods and results. He or she must possess strong organisational skills. In a career as a chemist, individuals have to keep track of all the data and accurately document the procedures and their effective results. Read further to know more about how to become a chemist In India or how to become a chemist after 12th.
Popular Online Pharmacy Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Chemist?
The following certifications can be pursued for those interested in adding more skills in career as chemist.
Internship Availability
In order to have a better understanding of a career as a chemist, it is always important to go for an internship. No matter how much practical learning experience your college or university provides, you will get real-world experience by working with a company or an organisation. After the completion of the academic programme, students are required to opt for internships.
Internships are beneficial for learning skills and getting industry insights. It is easy to learn about the functioning of the industry through internships. Interns are involved in performing lab research, testing, and developing formulas and products. Interns are required to perform documentation of procedures, interpretation of data and report their findings.
Career Path Progression for Chemist
Junior Chemist: A Junior Chemist is a professional who conducts lab experiments on various chemical substances to develop a new product and performs quality control tests. A Junior Chemist usually works under the guidance of the Senior Chemists.
Senior Chemist: A Senior Chemist is an experienced professional who develops, improves and customises the equipment, products and consults with engineers and scientists. A Senior Chemist trains the juniors and leads the team.
Chemist Jobs and Salaries
Junior Chemist
- Average Salary 15000
Job Description
The Junior Chemist job description includes preparing test solutions, and compounds and developing or improving the formulas. A Junior Chemist introduces heat, light and other materials and writes the technical papers.
Salary Description
The estimated Junior Chemist salary in India ranges from Rs 1.2 Lakhs to Rs 3.3 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 2.1 Lakhs per annum. The Junior Chemist salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
Senior Chemist
- Average Salary 28000
Job Description
The Senior Chemist job description includes checking and maintaining product quality and troubleshoots problems and keeping track of materials and equipment. A Senior Chemist analyses the results and researches and writes journals and represents the company at conferences or with media outlets.
Salary Description
The estimated Senior Chemist salary in India ranges from Rs 2.3 Lakhs to Rs 6.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 3.6 Lakhs per annum. A Senior Chemist salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
What is the job outlook for Chemist?
A career as a chemist is expected to grow six per cent in the next few years. There will be an increase in demand for chemists for developing medical nanotechnology. Candidates having experience working outside the laboratory as well have a better chance of getting a job. There is a huge demand for chemist jobs in India. Covid-19 has disastrously affected the Indian economy. It has made people realise the importance of chemists and other related professionals.
As chemists are research professionals who conduct a study on various chemicals and develop new procedures and products for improving the living standards of human beings. The future of chemistry jobs in the Industry is bright. Employers prefer to hire those candidates who possess prior work experience. Candidates who have done internships previously have more chances of getting a job compared to fresh graduate candidates with no industry experience. Scroll down to know how to become a Chemist in India or how to become a chemist after 12th.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Chemist
Que. What is the average fee of B.Sc. (chemistry)?
Ans.The fee of the academic programme varies from institution to institution. Private colleges charge a higher fee as compared to government colleges. Government colleges are more economical. The average of the academic programme B.Sc. in Chemistry is Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 200,000 per annum.
Que. What is the average starting salary offered to graduates in chemistry?
Ans.The salary varies depending on the skills and knowledge of a candidate. The size of the organisation and area also affect the salary bars. The job position also has a huge impact on salary. The average salary offered to graduated candidates in Chemistry is Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 700,000 per annum.
Que. What are jobs for recent chemistry graduates?
Ans.Chemistry graduates can get a job in chemical manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical companies, food processing companies, and research centres. The numerous positions offered to experienced candidates are pharma assistants, chemists, cytologists, technical writers, and clinical research associates.
Que. What are the various other specialisations in chemistry?
Ans.Chemistry is a vast subject with numerous branches. The primary branches to study are analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry. One could study other branches too such as environmental chemistry, industrial chemistry, polymer chemistry or various other branches of chemistry.
Que. What is the qualification of chemist?
Ans.The qualification of a chemist is a bachelor's degree in chemistry or a related field and experience in scientific research and laboratory work will also help to get the job.
Que. How many years does it take to be a chemist?
Ans.It might take around four to nine years of college and graduation education. To become a Chemist you will at least need a bachelor's degree in Chemistry or related physical science and as it is a research-based job a master's and PhD degree is a must.
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Did you know?
Fact 1
Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table in 1869, predicting undiscovered elements.
Fact 2
C.N.R. Rao is one of the most cited chemists globally, with over 1,500 papers.
Fact 3
Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes, in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911).
Fact 4
India synthesized its first diamond in 1957, led by Dr. B. B. S. Chauhan.
Fact 5
Fritz Haber developed the Haber-Bosch process in 1923, transforming fertilizer production.
