Also called: Peptide Chemist, Peptide Scientist
Makes peptides, short chains of amino acids, used in drugs like GLP-1 weight-loss medicines and in research tools.
Loads a peptide synthesizer to build a 30-amino-acid chain, then cleaves it from the resin, purifies it on an HPLC and confirms its mass. When a tricky sequence fails, you change the chemistry and try again. Your peptides go to drug testing or to customers who ordered them.
Estimate; PhD-level roles pay more.
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 chemistry or biochemistry; senior roles often need a PhD.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Biochemistry.
Growing faster than average. Peptide drugs like GLP-1 medicines are booming.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Synthesizers are automated, but fixing failed syntheses and purifying products stays hands-on.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Math.
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.