What Type of Chemist Should I Be

One press picks a kind of chemist to look into, with what that chemist studies, measures or makes.

What Type of Chemist Should I Be

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  1. Process chemistDevelops and optimizes the way a compound is manufactured for drug development.

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How it works

Studying chemistry and wondering what type of chemist you should become? Press the button for a kind of chemist, from the analytical lab to astrochemistry.

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Measure, make or model

Some chemists measure: analytical, clinical and water chemists find out what a sample holds. Some make: synthetic, polymer and medicinal chemists prepare new compounds and materials. Some model: theoretical and computational chemists work with theory and computer simulations.

Chemistry jobs away from the bench

The American Chemical Society’s list of career fields also names work outside the laboratory: chemistry and the law, science policy, regulatory affairs, technical sales and marketing, science writing and secondary school teaching.

  • Titles overlap. Solid-state chemistry is also referred to as materials chemistry, so read a job’s duties and not only its name.

Questions and answers

What kind of chemist should I be?

Start with the work you enjoy. If you like finding out what a sample holds, look at analytical chemistry. If you like making new compounds, look at organic or inorganic chemistry. If you like equations and computer models, look at physical or computational chemistry.

What are the main types of chemists?

The American Chemical Society names six main areas of chemistry: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry. Its careers pages add dozens of fields of specialization, from astrochemistry to water chemistry.

Which chemists work with living things?

Biochemists study chemical reactions in living systems. Medicinal chemists design and develop pharmaceutical drugs, neurochemists study the chemicals that act on the nervous system, and phytochemists study the chemicals derived from plants.

What is the difference between organic and inorganic chemistry?

Organic chemistry studies compounds and materials that contain carbon atoms. Inorganic chemistry mainly deals with compounds that are not based on carbon, such as metals and minerals. Organometallic chemistry, where carbon bonds to a metal, sits in the overlap.

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Browse People and Jobs

All 59 kinds of chemist

Analytical: what is in a sample 9

  • Analytical chemist Finds out what matter is made of and how it is structured, and reports it.
  • Clinical chemist Tests body fluids and tissues for important compounds in a medical laboratory.
  • Crystallographer Studies the structure and properties of molecules and crystals.
  • Food chemist Studies the chemical processes and interactions of the components of foods.
  • Forensic chemist Identifies unknown materials, such as drugs or accelerants, for legal cases.
  • Hazardous waste chemist Detects and identifies chemical pollutants in the air, water and soil.
  • Quality control chemist Checks that a company’s products meet their requirements and finds errors in them.
  • Spectroscopist Measures and interprets the spectra produced when radiation interacts with matter.
  • Water chemist Analyzes and maintains the quality and condition of water.

Organic: carbon compounds 10

  • Flavor chemist Uses chemistry to engineer artificial and natural flavors.
  • Medicinal chemist Designs and develops pharmaceutical drugs.
  • Natural products chemist Studies compounds produced by living organisms and how to prepare them by synthesis.
  • Organic chemist Studies the structure, properties and reactions of compounds that contain carbon atoms.
  • Organometallic chemist Studies compounds with at least one bond between a carbon atom and a metal.
  • Petroleum chemist Develops more efficient ways of turning petroleum into fuel.
  • Polymer chemist Studies the structures, synthesis and properties of polymers and other very large molecules.
  • Process chemist Develops and optimizes the way a compound is manufactured for drug development.
  • Supramolecular chemist Studies chemical systems made up of a discrete number of molecules.
  • Synthetic chemist Carries out chemical reactions on purpose to obtain one or more products.

Inorganic and materials 7

  • Bioinorganic chemist Examines the role of metals in biology.
  • Inorganic chemist Studies the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds, including metals and minerals.
  • Nanochemist Develops new methods for creating materials at the nanoscale.
  • Nuclear chemist Works with radioactivity, nuclear processes and changes in the nuclei of atoms.
  • Paint and coatings chemist Develops dyes, paints, pigments, coatings and inks for almost any industry.
  • Radiochemist Works with radioactive materials, often using radioactivity to study ordinary reactions.
  • Solid-state chemist Studies the synthesis, structure and properties of solid materials. Also called a materials chemist.

Physical and theoretical 12

  • Chemical kineticist Studies the rates of chemical reactions and how conditions change their speed.
  • Cheminformatics specialist Applies computer and information science to problems in chemistry.
  • Computational chemist Uses computer simulations to help solve chemical problems.
  • Electrochemist Studies the link between electrical potential difference and chemical change.
  • Femtochemist Studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales, about one femtosecond.
  • Photochemist Studies the chemical effects of light.
  • Physical chemist Studies how matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level and how chemical reactions occur.
  • Quantum chemist Applies quantum mechanics to predict the properties of molecules and materials.
  • Sonochemist Studies how ultrasound starts or speeds up chemical activity in a liquid.
  • Surface chemist Studies what happens where two phases meet, such as a solid and a gas.
  • Theoretical chemist Develops the theory of chemistry, such as the concepts of chemical bonding and valence.
  • Thermochemist Studies the heat energy that goes with chemical reactions and with melting and boiling.

Biochemistry and life 7

  • Agricultural chemist Develops chemicals to raise crop yields, defend against pests and protect the environment.
  • Biochemist Studies the structure, composition and chemical reactions of substances in living systems.
  • Chemical biologist Applies chemical techniques and small molecules to study and change biological systems.
  • Immunochemist Studies the chemistry of the immune system.
  • Neurochemist Studies the chemicals that control and influence the nervous system.
  • Phytochemist Studies phytochemicals, the chemicals derived from plants.
  • Toxicologist Studies the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms.

Earth, environment and space 7

  • Astrochemist Studies the abundance and reactions of molecules in space.
  • Atmospheric chemist Studies the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere and that of other planets.
  • Cosmochemist Studies the chemical composition of matter in the universe, mainly through meteorites.
  • Environmental chemist Studies chemical species in the air, soil and water, and how human activity affects them.
  • Geochemist Uses chemistry to explain geological systems such as the Earth’s crust and its oceans.
  • Green chemist Designs products and processes that use and generate fewer hazardous substances.
  • Marine chemist Studies the chemical composition and processes of the world’s oceans.

Industry, teaching and beyond 7

  • Chemical engineer Turns processes developed in the lab into commercial production of products.
  • Chemical technician Works with chemists and chemical engineers to develop, test and manufacture chemical products.
  • Chemistry education researcher Studies how students learn chemistry and the most efficient methods to teach it.
  • Chemistry professor Gives lectures, guides students in labs and works with them on research projects.
  • Conservation scientist Researches the materials of art, artifacts and buildings in a museum through scientific inquiry.
  • Perfumer Creates perfume compositions, relying on a fine sense of smell.
  • Regulatory affairs specialist Prepares the submissions needed for approval to market a new product in a country.