Also called: Drug Discovery Chemist, Synthetic Organic Chemist
Designs and builds new drug molecules that could become tomorrow's medicines.
You sketch a molecule that might block a cancer protein, plan how to build it step by step, and make it in the lab. Biologists test it, and you tweak the design based on results. It takes about ten years to get a drug to patients.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. PhD in organic or medicinal chemistry; bachelor's and master's chemists work as research associates.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Growth is for chemists and materials scientists overall.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI generates and ranks drug molecules and robots make more of them; fewer chemists per drug program.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Organic chemistry dual-enroll, AP Biology.
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.