2014 SALARIES & EMPLOYMENT

ACS NEWS

WAGESSalaries adjusted for inflation

resumed their long-term downward trend in 2014. Salaries, $ thousands 100 Current dollars

Constant dollars

90

80

70 2004 06 08 10 12 14

NOTE: Median annual base salaries for chemists employed full-time as of March 1 each year. SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index data)

"Salaries for ACS member chemists in the U.S. have not kept up with inflation and therefore continue to lose ground in terms of buying power."

MEDIAN BASE SALARIESIndustry

and government salaries are far higher than those in academia.

All chemists

$93,000

Male Female

$100,000 $79,400

Industry Government

Academia

$108,000 $106,100 $74,300

Bachelor's Master's Ph.D.

$72,000 $85,000 $102,000

Bachelor's Industry

$75,000

Government

$73,400

Academia

$44,000

Master's Industry

$92,000

Government insu cent data

Academia

$58,300

Ph.D. Industry Government Academia

$76,900

$126,000 $116,300

NOTE: Median annual base salaries for chemists employed full-time as of March 1, 2014. SOURCE: ACS salary and employment survey 2014

ACS members in the U.S. workforce ... ... who work in industry:

52%

... who are female:

31%

UNEMPLOYMENTChemists

and other college graduates fare significantly better than the broader U.S. population.

Percent unemployment

10

8

6

4

2

0 2004 06 08 10 12 14 U.S. population Chemists U.S. population, college graduates

NOTE: Data are for March each year and exclude those fully retired or otherwise not seeking employment. U.S. population data are for ages 25 and older. SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics

2014 SALARIES & EMPLOYMENT

Unemployment fell but SALARIES DIDN'T BUDGE, according to survey of ACS members

SOPHIE L. ROVNER, C&EN WASHINGTON

UNEMPLOYMENT IS EASING in the U.S. economy as a whole, and that trend is reflected in the chemical sector, according to the latest figures compiled by the American Chemical Society. "The unemployment rate of our domestic chemistry workforce is once again under 3.0%, as it was prior to the economic downturn of 2008?09," notes Elizabeth C. McGaha, assistant director of ACS's Research & Brand Strategy (RBS) department, which collects the data.

"It's good news that the drop in unemployment isn't solely related to people taking part-time or postdoctoral work," says Steven Meyers, assistant director of ACS's Career & Professional Advancement department. Instead, the decrease in the

fraction of ACS member chemists who are actively seeking work is "attributable to growth in full-time employment, which suggests that positions with at least 35 hours of work per week are absorbing those individuals transitioning into the workforce."

Unfortunately, the improving jobs situation hasn't bolstered wages: "Salaries have still not begun to rebound to prerecession levels," McGaha says. Even worse, "salaries for ACS member chemists in the U.S. have not kept up with inflation and therefore continue to lose ground in terms of buying power. While this is not unique to the chemical labor market, it is still a concern."

These findings come from the 2014 Comprehensive Salary & Employment

Survey of ACS members in the workforce, which ran from March through early May this year. RBS conducted and analyzed the survey in a project headed by Gareth S. Edwards and guided by the ACS Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs.

The survey was sent to a random sample of almost 37,000 ACS members under the age of 70. The sample excluded student, emeritus, and retired members, as well as members living outside the U.S. The survey recipients returned nearly 8,400 complete responses, for a response rate of 23%.

The survey asked members about their status as of March 1, 2014. Some of the survey results reported in this article are based on answers from all respondents; those

68 C E N . A C S .O R G

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

data shed light on the demographics of

We know that some individuals are unfortu- obscures wide variability linked to degree

the ACS membership as a whole. Other re- nately in this regrettable situation; we just level and experience. For example, the

ported results focus on ACS members who don't have a way to measure how large their society conducts a separate survey of new

are in the chemical workforce and exclude numbers are."

chemistry graduates that shows that the

members who work in other fields, such as

For chemists whose data are captured

unemployment rate for students who

chemical engineering, business adminis-

by ACS, the overall unemployment rate

graduated between July 2012 and June 2013

tration, computer science, and

has risen to 14.9% (C&EN, June

law. In each table in this article, the headline and footnote indi-

SALARIES OF CHEMISTS

2, page 28). "As a rule," Meyers says, "those with more experi-

cate the group whose data are

Salaries slipped in several categories

ence and additional degrees

presented. In some cases, data

tend to have better outcomes in

differ among tables because

2013?14

any job search."

some respondents didn't an-

$ THOUSANDS

2013a

2014 $ CHANGE % CHANGE

That statement is borne out

swer all the questions.

ALL

$96.0 $95.0 -$1.0

-1.0% by data from the comprehensive

Some 91.9% of chemists who BY DEGREE

survey. Just 2.2% of ACS mem-

responded to this year's survey indicated they were employed full-time, the highest level in six years. Over the past decade, full-time employment peaked

Bachelor's Master's Ph.D. BY GENDER Men Women

75.0

74.9

-0.1

-0.1

87.0 85.8

-1.2

-1.4

104.0 103.0

-1.0

-1.0

102.0 102.0

0.0

0.0

80.1 80.4

0.3

0.4

ber chemists with Ph.D.s--who account for roughly two-thirds of survey respondents--are seeking employment, down from 3.0% a year ago. But among

at 92.5% in 2008--early in the

BY EMPLOYER

chemists with a master's or bach-

Great Recession--and bottomed out at 88.1% in 2010.

Only 2.8% of chemists were working part-time as of March, compared with 3.9% in 2008 as

Industry Government Academia BY CITIZENSHIP Native born Naturalized

109.8 110.0

0.2

0.2

106.4 108.0

1.6

1.5

75.0 75.0

0.0

0.0

95.0 93.0

-2.0

-2.1

109.0 117.0

8.0

7.3

elor's degree (categories that each account for about half of the remaining survey responses), some 4.6% and 4.2%, respectively, are unemployed and looking

well as in 2010, the most recent Permanent resident

88.2 94.4

6.2

7.0

for a job. Those figures stood at

peak year.

Other visa

71.0 72.0

1.0

1.4

4.7% and 4.6% last year.

The fraction of responding chemists working in postdoctoral positions has also bounced up and down. After topping out at 4.2% in 2010, the fraction dipped

BY ETHNICITY Hispanic BY AGE 20?29 30?39 40?49

94.1 89.5

-4.6

-4.9

53.5 54.0

0.5

0.9

75.4

75.8

0.4

0.5

96.0 96.3

0.3

0.3

DESPITE THE DISCREPANCY

in the extent of unemployment, Ph.D.s are sharing the same fate as their colleagues in terms of

to 1.9% in 2011, then rose again 50?59

110.0 112.2

2.2

2.0

wage increases. For all three

before settling at 2.3% this year. 60?69

111.5 115.0

3.5

3.1

degree levels, median wages this

The fraction of chemists who NOTE: Median annual base salaries for chemists who were employed full-time as of

March were essentially the same

were unemployed but looking for a job maxed out at 4.6% in

March 1 of each year and who had not changed jobs over the prior year. a Revised. SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys

as last year. The median salary for chemists with a doctorate

2011 and has now receded to

was $102,000, for those with a

2.9%, the lowest level since 2008, when the rate was 2.3%.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

master's degree was $85,000, and for those with a bachelor's

That trend seems reassuring,

OF CHEMISTS

degree was $72,000 (see salary

although "it is certainly possible Full-time employment reached highest level in six years trends table on page 71).

that small numbers of very long-

But the story gets worse:

term unemployed chemical scientists and engineers have given up on the job search or moved

FULL-TIME

OTHER THAN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYED/ SEEKING

PART-TIME POSTDOC EMPLOYMENT SUBTOTAL

These findings are stated in socalled current dollars, and therefore don't account for changes

into non-chemistry-related fields" and therefore don't show up in the numbers, Meyers says. "Those who have been out of work for a while and have few

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

90.9% 90.8 91.3 92.3 92.5 90.3

3.6% 4.1 3.4 3.6 3.9 3.2

1.9% 2.0 2.3 1.7 1.3 2.5

3.6% 3.1 3.0 2.4 2.3 3.9

9.1%

in the cost of living. Calculating

9.2

salaries in constant dollars--a

8.7 7.7

practice that eliminates the ef-

7.5

fects of inflation--shows that

9.6

chemists at all degree levels

resources to receive further

2010

88.1

3.9

4.2

3.8

11.9

continue to lose ground with re-

education or training will even- 2011

89.7

3.7

1.9

4.6

tually take a nonideal position

2012

90.0

3.1

2.6

4.2

that at least keeps a paycheck

2013 2014

91.1 91.9

2.7 2.8

2.7 2.3

3.5 2.9

coming in, even if it means being

10.3

spect to the rising cost of living.

10.0

Between 2013 and 2014, sala-

8.9 8.0

ries adjusted for inflation fell

1.5% for each of the three degree

underemployed. Once that happens, it becomes more difficult

NOTE: Employment of chemists as of March 1 of each year. Excludes those fully retired or otherwise not seeking employment. Totals may not add to 100% because of rounding. SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys

levels. Looking at the data in the longer term highlights stark

to reenter the chemistry market.

trends in chemists' purchasing

69 C E N . A C S . O R G

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

ACS NEWS

power. Compared with a decade ago, me-

sector, engineers made a median salary that

dian salaries have shrunk 11.7% for Ph.D.s,

was 8.1% above the pay of chemists.

6.8% for chemists with M.S. degrees, and 7.9% for those with bachelor's degrees, in

DATA ONLINE

In terms of fields of chemistry, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry are

terms of constant dollars.

once again the leading sectors in which

Reverting to current dollars, and limiting More results from the ACS salary

employed ACS members who responded

the pool to chemists working full-time who

and employment survey--including

to the survey earned their highest degree.

had not changed jobs during the prior year,

interactive graphics--can be found at

These subjects accounted for 21.8%, 11.3%,

median salaries fell 0.1% for bachelor's-lev-

.

and 11.1%, respectively, of employed re-

el chemists, 1.4% for those with a master's

ACS members can obtain further

spondents' terminal degrees. Men earned

degree, and 1.0% for Ph.D.s between 2013

information about salaries and

the majority of the terminal degrees in

and 2014. These declines don't mean that

employment at salary.

most fields, but women members earned

salaries of individual chemists are being

Resources on the website include the

50% or more of the terminal degrees in a

cut, Edwards explains. Instead, the declines ACS Salary Calculator and the ACS

few subjects, including chemical education.

arise because a different of pool of respon-

Employment Dashboard. Members

Work specialties don't always align with

dents answers the survey each year, and the

can use the calculator to find salary

chosen degree field. The most popular work

median salaries of this year's pool are lower

data for specific categories of chemists

specialties are analytical chemistry, employ-

than those of last year's respondents, re-

by using filters such as degree level,

ing 14.5% of ACS members, followed by or-

vealing overall salary trends for chemists.

years since earning a degree, field,

ganic chemistry at 11.0%. Chemical educa-

Many other dissimilarities emerge when

and other factors. The dashboard

tion at 8.2% and medicinal and pharmaceu-

the ACS survey responses are broken into

provides highlights of survey results,

tical chemistry at 8.1% are the other sectors

other subgroups. For instance, the results

including salary; employment status;

that employ a sizable fraction of members.

show that industry and government contin-

and demographic data broken down by

Chemical education and general chemistry

ue to pay chemists far better than academia,

year, employer category, degree level,

are the only fields in which women mem-

on average. Approximately half of respond-

and geographic region.

bers hold more than 40% of the jobs.

ing member chemists work in industry; their

Career resources for unemployed

median pay in March was $108,000. Less

ACS members can be found at

OVER THE PAST few years, employment of

than 10% work in government, and they

unemployed. The society also

ACS members has risen in agricultural and

made a median salary of $106,100. By con-

offers career consulting and other

food chemistry as well as specialty and fine

trast, the median salary for academics, who

services for members at

chemicals and coatings, paints, and inks,

account for most of the remainder of the

careernavigator.

Meyers says. "These areas of growth have

responding chemists, was a mere $74,300.

made up for some of the continued losses in

Large differences also

the pharmaceutical and medi-

show up in other subcategories. For example, male chemists reported a median sal-

ACS MEMBERS BY HIGHEST DEGREE

Apart from gender, diversity increased with degree level

cal device industries," he adds. "Another area of encouraging outlook is the service sector,

ary of $100,000 as of March,

where we've seen increases in

whereas women reported a median salary of $79,400.

There's a similarly wide gap between the pay of chemists and chemical engineers.

BY GENDER Men Women BY EMPLOYER Industry

BACHELOR'S MASTER'S

64.2% 35.8

59.5% 40.5

83.4

67.2

PH.D.

72.4% 27.6

42.2

TOTAL

69.2% 30.8

52.3

the year-over-year numbers in analytical testing and other professional services related to science, engineering, and the law."

As of this March, the median Government

7.8

8.2

7.4

7.5

The ACS survey collects

salary for chemical engineers Academia

7.5

22.9

49.2

38.9

additional information

who are members of ACS was $114,900--some 23.5% higher than the median salary for chemists. The gulf between engineers and chemists is

Self-employed BY CITIZENSHIP Native born Naturalized Permanent resident Other visa

1.3

1.7

1.2

1.3

beyond salary and employ-

ment status. For instance,

94.8 4.1

89.1 7.2

74.1 13.6

79.5 11.2

responses indicate that 30.8%

0.9

2.8

9.3

7.0

of members are women. Some

0.2

0.9

3.0

2.3

85.6% of members are white,

most striking for the young-

BY RACE

and 9.7% are Asian. And 79.5%

est workers. In the 20?29 age group, median pay for chemical engineers was 44.0% higher than that for chemists.

The disparity is also partic-

American Indian Asian Black White Other BY ETHNICITY

0.3

0.3

0.1

0.2

are native born, whereas 11.2%

2.6

5.9

12.1

9.7

are naturalized citizens.

2.8

2.6

91.0

88.4

2.0 83.8

2.2 85.6

Each year, the survey also

3.3

2.7

1.9

2.2

includes a group of topical

questions; this time, those

ularly large in academia, where Hispanic

4.2

3.4

3.5

3.6

questions focused on health

chemical engineers earned 34.6% more than chemists. In

NOTE: Data for ACS members as of March 1, 2014. Totals may not add to 100% because of rounding.

care benefits. "By and large, ACS members working in the

industry, the difference was

SOURCE: ACS salary and employment survey 2014

domestic labor market are

11.1%, and in the government

covered by health insurance,"

70 C E N . A C S .O R G

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

McGaha says. "While that's very good news, about one-third of ACS member chemists have experienced changes in their coverage due to recent legislation, resulting most often in higher costs and less coverage."

LOOKING AHEAD, the employment situation for chemists seems promising. According to the American Chemistry Council, the year-over-year change in the chemistry production outlook for countries in the developed world is 2.4% for 2014 and at least 3.8% for the foreseeable future, after growth of less than a percent in the past three years, Meyers says. "Production ramping up in the chemical enterprise is translating into reductions in the number of job seekers, and if ACC's forecast holds true,

these employment trends should continue." Meyers suggests that chemists can

improve their chances of landing a job by building their networks, improving their CVs, working on their search strategies, and managing their online presence. "Before it becomes possible to showcase your technical prowess, you must first sell yourself to get the hiring manager to pay attention to what you have to say," he explains.

And new graduates can "stand out from among the crowd of job seekers by showing that they have hands-on research or work experience beyond what was assigned in the classroom," Meyers advises.

He also recommends continuing education and training to "remain germane to the careers of the future," as well as work-

ing with colleagues across a diverse set of functions. These experiences can help employees do their job better, learn where their institution and industry are headed, and build a portfolio of relevant skills.

"Many employers are also seeking individuals with experience working across borders," Meyers says. "This doesn't mean that a chemist needs to spend time working or schooling abroad--although that may help. It means that experience collaborating with varied cultures and seeing issues from the viewpoints of others is very desirable to employers."

Oftentimes, he adds, "many people have the same base skill set, so it is the small differences in experience and execution that make a candidate stand out."

SALARY TRENDS FOR CHEMISTS

Removing the effects of inflation shows that salaries for many chemists are much lower now than they were a decade ago

BACHELOR'S

$ THOUSANDS CURRENT $ CONSTANT $

2004

$62.0

$62.0

2005

63.0

61.1

2006

65.2

61.2

2007

69.7

63.6

2008

73.0

64.1

2009

66.7

58.8

2010

69.8

60.1

2011

72.0

60.4

2012

73.9

60.4

2013

72.0

58.0

2014

72.0

57.1

AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY CHANGE

2013?14 2004?14

0.0% 1.5

-1.5% -0.8

MASTER'S

CURRENT $

CONSTANT $

$72.3

$72.3

74.0

71.7

77.5

72.7

80.0

73.0

82.0

72.0

81.0

71.4

80.0

68.9

85.0

71.3

85.0

69.4

85.0

68.4

85.0

67.4

0.0% 1.6

-1.5% -0.7

PH.D.

CURRENT $

CONSTANT $

$91.6

$91.6

93.0

90.2

95.0

89.1

96.7

88.2

101.0

88.6

100.0

88.1

98.0

84.4

102.0

85.5

100.6

82.2

102.0

82.1

102.0

80.9

0.0% 1.1

-1.5% -1.2

ALL CHEMISTS

CURRENT $

CONSTANT $

$82.0

$82.0

83.0

80.5

85.0

79.7

88.0

80.3

93.0

81.6

90.0

79.3

89.0

76.6

93.0

78.0

92.0

75.2

94.0

75.7

93.0

73.8

-1.1% 1.3

-2.5% -1.1

NOTE: Median annual base salaries for chemists employed full-time as of March 1 of each year. Consumer Price Index rose 1.5% from March 2013 to March 2014 and an average of 2.3% annually from March 2004 to March 2014. Constant dollars are calculated using 2004 as the base year. SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index data)

INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS' SALARIES BY EXPERIENCE AND GENDER

Women's salaries surpassed men's for chemists who earned their bachelor's degree or Ph.D. five to nine years ago

YEARS SINCE BACHELOR'S DEGREE 2?4 5?9 10?14 15?19 20?24 25?29 30?34 35?39 40 or more

BACHELOR'S

(IN THOUSANDS)

WOMEN AS %

MEN

WOMEN

OF MEN

$50.0

$43.1

86%

57.8

60.0

104

68.0

63.1

93

82.0

81.5

99

85.5

81.1

95

103.0

87.4

85

97.8

92.0

94

105.3

106.5

101

106.1

id

na

MASTER'S

(IN THOUSANDS)

MEN

WOMEN

id

id

$73.0

$64.0

81.5

73.0

96.3

82.5

96.0

94.0

113.0

95.5

112.0

101.2

111.5

108.0

124.5

id

WOMEN AS % OF MEN na 88% 90 86 98 85 90 97 na

PH.D.

(IN THOUSANDS)

MEN

WOMEN

na

na

$83.0

$92.0

100.0

99.9

118.0

113.5

130.0

133.5

137.8

135.0

143.0

129.2

147.0

139.0

147.8

94.3

WOMEN AS % OF MEN na 111% 100 96 103 98 90 95 64

NOTE: Median annual base salaries for industrial chemists employed full-time as of March 1, 2014. id = insufficient data. na = not applicable. SOURCE: ACS salary and employment survey 2014

71 C E N . A C S . O R G

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

ACS MEMBERS IN THE WORKFORCE

Ph.D.s and those working in academe continued to increase their share of membership

BY DEGREE Bachelor's Master's Ph.D. BY GENDER Men Women BY EMPLOYER Industry Government Academia Self-employed BY CITIZENSHIP Native born Naturalized Permanent resident Other visa BY RACE American Indian Asian Black White Other BY ETHNICITY Hispanic

1995 2000 2005 2010 2012 2013 2014

24.3% 22.1% 19.9% 17.7% 17.1% 16.9 17.4 17.0 17.9 16.6 58.8 60.5 63.1 64.4 66.3

17.0% 15.9% 15.6 14.6 67.3 69.5

78.5 21.5

75.8 24.2

74.9 25.1

71.5 28.5

70.7 29.3

70.2 29.8

69.2 30.8

65.5 64.7 62.0 52.7 56.2 54.3 52.3

7.9 6.9

7.4

7.3

7.4

7.6

7.5

25.1 26.4 28.8 32.1 34.9 36.5 38.9

1.4 2.0

1.8

7.9

1.6

1.6

1.3

82.3 8.5 7.1 2.1

79.5 10.2 6.9

3.4

79.8 10.2 6.5 3.5

76.0 13.1 8.0 3.0

78.2 11.4 7.2 3.2

79.9 10.9 6.9

2.4

79.5 11.2 7.0 2.3

0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

10.3 11.1 10.9 12.8 10.9 10.1

9.7

1.4

1.9

1.9

2.2

2.4

2.5

2.2

85.8 85.5 85.8 81.0 83.4 85.3 85.6

2.3

1.3

1.2 3.8 2.9

1.9 2.2

2.3

2.5

2.6

3.3

3.4

3.7

3.6

MEDIAN AGE (YEARS) 43.3 44.7 47.0 49.0 48.0 48.0 48.0

NOTE: Data for ACS members as of March 1 of each year. Totals may not add to 100% because of rounding. SOURCES: ACS censuses, annual ACS salary and employment surveys

ENGINEERS AND CHEMISTS

Only for Ph.D.s did chemists' salaries come anywhere near engineers'

$ THOUSANDS ALL BY DEGREE Bachelor's Master's Ph.D. BY EMPLOYER Industry Government Academia BY AGE 20?29 30?39 40?49 50?59 60?69

CHEMICAL

ENGINEERS CHEMISTS

$114.9

$93.0

CHEMISTS AS % OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

81%

97.5

72.0

74

120.0

85.0

71

118.1

102.0

86

120.0

108.0

90

114.7

106.1

93

100.0

74.3

74

75.0

52.1

69

97.3

75.1

77

117.0

96.2

82

137.1

112.0

82

136.5

114.0

84

NOTE: Median annual base salaries as of March 1, 2014. SOURCE: ACS salary and employment survey 2014

ACADEMIC SALARIES BY GENDER

Salaries of women surpassed those of men in several categories

$ THOUSANDS BACHELOR'S DEGREE-GRANTING SCHOOLS Full professor Associate professor Assistant professor MASTER'S DEGREE-GRANTING SCHOOLS Full professor Associate professor Assistant professor PH.D.-GRANTING SCHOOLS Full professor Associate professor Assistant professor

NINE- TO 10-MONTH CONTRACTS

WOMEN AS

MEN

WOMEN % OF MEN

$84.6 65.6 56.0

$76.8 63.0 53.8

91% 96 96

94.9 70.8 64.5

99.6

105

76.5

108

60.0

93

133.0

120.0

90

86.5

91.3

106

77.4

79.0

102

NOTE: Median salaries for ACS members in academe as of March 1, 2014. SOURCE: ACS salary and employment survey 2014

 ................
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