Also called: Nucleic Acid Chemist, RNA Drug Chemist
Designs and builds short strands of DNA or RNA used as medicines, like drugs that silence a disease-causing gene.
Designs a 20-letter RNA strand with chemical tweaks so it lasts longer in the body, then runs a synthesizer that builds it one letter at a time. You purify it, check its mass and pass it to biologists who test whether it switches off a liver gene in cells.
Estimate; bachelor's-level associates start lower.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. Usually a PhD in chemistry; some start with a bachelor's or master's as research associates.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Biochemistry.
Growing faster than average. RNA-based medicines are a fast-growing drug area.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps pick sequences, but making, purifying and testing new molecules stays hands-on lab work.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Math, Physics.
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.