Also called: Formulation Scientist, Product Development Engineer
Creates the recipes for shampoo, toothpaste, detergent and lotion and figures out how to make them by the ton.
You mix 12 versions of a new body wash and test how thick, foamy and stable each one is. Then you work out how to make the winner in a 5,000-gallon mixer without it separating.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemical engineering or chemistry.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Cosmetic Science.
Growing about average. Steady demand at consumer goods companies.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI predicts formula stability and suggests ingredients, reducing lab iterations; scaling recipes and consumer testing stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, Family and consumer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.