Also called: Sustainable Chemistry Scientist
Redesigns chemical products and processes so they use less energy, make less waste, and avoid toxic ingredients.
You try to swap a toxic solvent for a plant-based one in a reaction, measure how much waste it saves, and run the numbers on cost. You present results to engineers who decide whether to change the factory.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's or PhD in chemistry is common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Chemists overall; sustainability goals are boosting demand.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI finds greener solvents and routes; testing them and convincing factories to change stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2031.
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.