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- Ph.D. pharmaceutical chemists are part of the broader occupational category of chemists, using the job classification system employed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most chemists employed by pharmaceutical firms specialize in analytical chemistry. In May 2010, the BLS reported that annual salaries for chemists averaged $73,240 per year. For the top 10 percent of earners, including pharmaceutical chemist presidents with doctoral degrees, annual compensation averaged $116,130.
- BLS data on salaries for chemists included average salaries by industry. The pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry was second only to scientific research and development firms as the largest employer of chemists. Salaries for pharmaceutical chemists, most of whom have doctoral degrees, averaged $72,140 per year, according to BLS figures. Pharmaceutical chemist presidents, because of their position, may earn even more, with their salaries clustered among the top earners in the field.
- Pharmaceutical chemist presidents and managers direct and coordinate chemistry research and thus count as natural sciences managers. The BLS reported in 2010 that natural sciences managers in the pharmaceutical industry earned an average of $149,820 per year, about $20,000 more per year than the overall average for natural sciences managers.
- The BLS projected slower-than-average growth in job opportunities for chemists overall, but reported that Ph.D.-level chemists will find better job prospects with higher salaries in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Despite these better opportunities, the BLS cautioned that new chemists at all degree levels -- undergraduate and graduate -- could face extensive competition for jobs.
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