1973 Salary Survey
Employment outlook brightens for chemists Latest ACS annual survey of members confirms decrease in unemployment and above-average increase in salaries Something of an upturn in the economic situation and fortunes of the chemical profession has been under way for the past nine months or more. Signs of this improvement have been apparent in the Government's monthly employment data, in company reports, and in surveys by professional societies. And indications of the improvement have also come from other sources as diverse as projections of increased R&D spending and the relatively high attendance at this year's spring ACS meeting in Dallas. A far more precise fix on this pickup has now been provided by ACS's 1973 Comprehensive Salary and Employment Status Survey. Based on data from nearly 12,000 Society members, it reveals that unemployment among chemists had dropped to 1.8% by this March. Last March it was at 3.1%. (These figures are based on samples that exclude retirees who are not seeking employment.) The survey also shows that chemists' salaries moved up by an average of about 7% during these same 12 months. This is considerably more than the gain of about 4.5% posted in the previous 12 months. It is also better than the long-term average annual gain of about 6.5%. The survey also includes a mass of other data concerning the chemical
profession. For instance, it gives a breakout of minority members (about 5%); an analysis of how women chemists are doing financially (not well); an indication of chemists' own views of the employment outlook (rather gloomy); and an analysis of chemists' reaction to a proposed unemployment insurance scheme (reasonably interested). The employment and salary advances brought out by this ACS survey don't automatically indicate that all the problems that have plagued chemists for the past three or four years are over. For instance, there is still a considerable number of chemists having to work at less than their true professional level. Also, the big gains in salary have come in a year of high inflation. However, the survey does confirm that a distinct improvement is under way for chemists. It also indicates that this upward trend has started somewhat earlier than seemed possible during the depressing days of 1970, 1971, and early 1972. This ACS survey is the latest of a long series of salary surveys begun in 1941. It was conducted by the Office of Manpower Studies. The office is planning a full report and detailed analysis of all the data gathered in the survey. The report should be available in July. This article and analysis by C&EN covers preliminary data from the survey. It is presented at this time to make the major results available to Society members as soon as possible and to compare the data with employment and salary statistics from other sources. The survey this year, as in other years, excluded foreign, student, and emeritus members of the Society. This left a potential population of about 85,000. A 50-question questionnaire was sent to 21,641 of these asking their employ-
Unemployment among chemists is down sharply ... 1971 Full-time employment
90.8%
1972 90.2%
1973 91.4%
2.8
3.1
1.8
Temporary or part-time employment
2.3
1.5
1.3
Subprofessional employment
2.5
2.8
2.1
Postdoctoral fellowships
1.6
2.0
3.0
Retired but seeking employment
—
0.4
0.4
Note: These data exclude chemists who have retired and are not seeking employment.
C&EN June 18, 1973
Unemployment varies with age . . . % of group unemployed8
Age group Under 25
2.7%
25-30
2.9
31-35
1.9 1.2
36-40 41-45
2.0
46-50
2.0
51-55
1.5
56-60 Over 60
0.9 1.5
. . . but it is higher for women chemists % unemployed 8
Male Female0
1.5% 4.2
a All data are for 1973. b Women make up 7.0% of the total chemist population. Source: ACS survey
. . . dropping in almost all areas of the country
Unemployed
6
ment status and salary as of March 1, 1973. 11,792 questionnaires came back for a 54.5% response. Of the respondents, 61% work for industry, 11% for government, 24% are in education, and the rest are either self-employed, work for nonprofit organizations, or are retired. The survey brings out that there are a considerable number of chemists who aren't actually out of work but who still may have employment problems. Of those responding to the survey, 1.3% had temporary or part-time jobs and another 2.1% were subprofessionally employed. Combined with the 1.8% actually unemployed and the 0.4% of retirees seeking employment, these categories give a total of 5.6% for those
% unemployed Pacific New England West North Central West South Central Mountain Middle Atlantic East North Central South Atlantic East South Central Source: ACS survey
1971
1972
3.6
4.6% 3.4
2.9 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.1 2.0
2.6 2.2 1.9 3.5 2.5 2.7 2.1
4.4%
1973 2.5% 2.0 0.9 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.3 1.5 3.0
Chemists in government service are the best paid at all degree levels $ Thousands3 25
B.S.
20;
20
101
10
5 ^ ^ ^ • • • ' • • '
:
$ Thousands3
$ Thousands3
25
::;-,=-=
25
M.S.
Ph.D.
10
——Government Industry ' Education
5
• ; ^ ^ . : : , < ; o ^
I S
o
s
0
-•••••••:
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1969
1970
1971
0
1969
1973
1972
1970
1972
1971
1973
a Median annual salaries. Source: ACS survey
either without jobs or possibly with unsatisfactory jobs. For 1972 the corresponding total was 7.4%. The decrease in the rate of unemployment of chemists this year is apparent in all areas of the country but one. In the East South Central region unemployment rose to 3.0% from 2.1% in 1972 and 2.0% in 1971. This jump is at least partially due to a high rate of more than 5.0% for Kentucky this year. In all other areas of the country the decrease in unemployment has been sharp. For instance, it fell to 2.5% in the Pacific area from 4.6% last year. The drop in the important Middle Atlantic area, that accounts for 27% of all U.S. chemists, has been from 3.5% last year to 1.7% this year. There are some significant differences in 1973 in the rate of unemployment of chemists by age. The range is from a high of 2.9% for chemists in the 25 to 30 age group to a low of 0.9% for those between 56 and 60. This finding of reduced unemployment for chemists is in line with a host of other indicators of related employment trends from non-AC S sources. For instance, preliminary returns from an American Institute of Chemical Engineers survey indicate that unemployment among that society's members was down to 1.5% early this year. Earlier AIChE surveys had shown this rate increasing from 1.7% in January 1971 to a peak of 3.7% in July of the same year before moving down to 2.8% in January 1972 and 2.2% six months later. Figures from the Department of Labor indicate a decrease in the rate of unemployment of white-collar workers generally. Quarterly data indicate that joblessness among professional and technical personnel peaked at 3.1% in the first three months of 1971. One year later it was down to 2.6% and by the first quarter of this year it was at 2.2%. Also according to the Department of Labor, employment by the chemicals and allied products industry has been increasing since the middle of last year. This upturn follows a three-year
decline that cut about 70,000, or about 7%, from the industry's payrolls. Employment of white-collar workers by the industry has moved up about 1% in the past year. Of particular interest to chemists are indications of increased R&D employment by chemical and other industries. A recent study by the Engineering Manpower Commission of the Engineers Joint Council outlines a growing demand for scientists and engineers in all industrial R&D. Based on a survey of 86 research establishments, the study indicates that such employment in-
creased by about 2% in 1972. During 1973 it is supposed to gain another 6%. For chemical industry R&D, the gains are put at 3% in 1972 and 6% in 1973. Such increases point in the same direction as a National Science Foundation prediction of a 15% increase in chemical industry R&D spending from 1972 to 1975. And a C&EN survey of major chemical companies indicates a 7% increase in industry R&D spending this year (C&EN, Jan. 8, page 8). Turning to the detailed salary information in the new ACS survey of Society members, it turns out that between
Chemists' salaries rose about 7% in the past year B.S.
Ph.D.
M.S.
%
% Chemists Salary a Income0
1972
1973
$15.6
$16.8
16.0
17.0
change
1972
1973
7.7%
$16.3
$17.5
17.0
18.0
6.3
%
change
7.4%
1972
1973
$19.2
$20.5
20.0
21.3
5.9
change
6.8% 6.5
Chemical engineers Salary a
—
$20.2
lncomeb
—
21.0
$22.0
—
—
22.5
$23.1
—
—
24.5
—
a Median salary, in thousands of dollars, b Median income, in thousands of dollars, includes salary plus fees, honorariums, and other professional income. Source: ACS survey
Salaries of women chemists only about three quarters those of men chemists M.S. a
B.S a Years of experience
1
Men
$
8.3
Distribution
Women
Men
Women
Men
Women
Men
9.0
$10.5
$10.0
$12.6
87.2%
12.8%
10.1
12.5
10.1
16.2
12.7
89.7
10.3
Women
$
Ph.D. a
$
9.5
2-4
11.0
5-9
13.6
11.7
14.6
11.6
18.0
14.0
91.1
8.9
10-14
15.7
13.0
16.6
13.5
20.0
14.4
91.7
8.3
15-19
17.8
13.1
18.5
14.2
23.0
17.6
92.3
7.7
20-24
18.5
14.8
20.0
16.9
24.8
16.6
93.0
7.0
25-29
20.4
16.0
21.0
14.8
25.1
17.5
93.0
7.0
30-34
20.6
15.0
21.6
13.0
26.0
19.2
93.3
6.7
35-39
20.0
14.4
21.7
19.5
26.0
19.3
93.5
6.5
40 +
24.8
13.0
21.4
13.1
25.0
20.8
93.5
6.5
Overall
17.0
12.6
18.0
13.0
20.9
15.3
93.5
6.5
a Median annual salaries, thousands of dollars. Source: ACS survey
June 18, 1973 C&EN
7
Chemists working on East Coast tend to be best paid West North Central (6.1 % ) $16.0 (5.1%) B.S. 16.7 (5.4%) M.S. Ph.D. (6.8%) 19.0
East North Central B.S. $16.5 M.S. 17.2 Ph.D. 20.0
(21.3%) (22.9%) (22.6%) (20.0%)
New England (6.8%) B.S. $17.0 (5.8%) M.S. 18.0 (7.1%) Ph.D. 20.2 (7.3%)
/
Mountain (3.1%) B.S. $16.0 (2.6%) M.S. 16.1 (2.8%) Ph.D. 18.0 (3.5%)
Pacific (9.8%) $16.8 (11.5%) B.S. 16.8 (9.2%) M.S. Ph.D . 20.5 (9.1%)
\ Middle Atlantic (26.9%) B.S. $17.0 (27.4%) M.S. 18.0 (29.3%) Ph.D. 21.7 (25.7%)
7 / / / East South Central (3.7%)
West South Central (6.5%) B.S. $16.7 (6.6%) M.S. 15.3 (6.9%) Ph.D. 19.2 (6.3%)
B.S. M.S. Ph.D.
$15.7 18.0 18.9
(3.9%) (3.9%) (3.5%)
South Atlantic (15.8%) B.S. $17.3 (14.2%) M.S. 17.7 (12.8%) Ph.D. 21.8 (17.7%)
How to read: Using New England as an example, 6.8% of the responding chemists work in this U.S. census area; 5.8% of all B.S. chemists live there and their median annual salary in 1973 is $17,000. Note: All salaries in thousands of dollars. Source: ACS survey
March 1972 and March 1973 the median salary of bachelor degree chemists moved up from $15,600 to $16,800—a 7.7% gain. This increase is far larger than the 4.0% gain in the previous 12 months and it exceeds the 7.3% average annual gain between 1962 and 1972. Master degree chemists saw their median salary move up 7.4%, from $16,300 to $17,400, in this latest 12-month pe-
riod. This compares with a 4.5% gain in the previous year and a 10-year average of 6.3%. And the salaries of doctorates in chemistry gained 6.8%, from $19,200 to $20,500, between March 1972 and March 1973. In the previous year they had moved up only 4.9% and over the 10-year period they have posted a 6.0% average annual increase. These gains of about 7% in chemists'
salaries over the past year are about in line with increases posted elsewhere in the economy. For instance, the average pay of industrial production workers moved up just over 6% between March 1972 and March 1973. For production workers in the chemicals and allied products industry the gain was 6.6%. Their average annual pay is now running at about $9500. The new ACS survey confirms the sharp difference between the salaries of chemists engaged in education and the salaries of those employed by industry and the Government. The median salary for B.S. chemists in education is $9800. This compares with $16,900 for those in industry and $17,900 for those in Government. A similar differential persists at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. There are no signs that this differential is decreasing. From 1969 to 1973, the salaries of chemists in both education and industry increased by about a quarter. For chemists in Government the gain was closer to one third. Chemists in management tend to earn considerably more than their colleagues in other work areas. For instance, B.S. chemists in management have a median salary of $21,800, well above the $16,800 median for all B.S. chemists. Also, they are reaching higher salaries much more quickly. On average, the B.S. chemist manager is crossing the $20,000-peryear line after working for about 16 years. According to the ACS survey, it takes B.S. chemists in R&D and production 40 years to reach this far up the salary ladder. From the data in this year's survey it is apparent that the Ph.D. chemist can expect to reach the $20,000 salary level in whatever field he or she enters. In management it has been taking five years, in R&D about 10, in production
Gap between salaries of B.S. and Ph.D. chemists narrows with increasing experience Years of experience 9 Kercentne rank
2-4 0
Salary lncome
LOWER 10% $ 6.4 $ 6.0 Bachelors 7.4 Masters na Doctors 9.2 na LOWER 2 5 % Bachelors 7.2 6.7 8.4 Masters na Doctors 10.8 na MEDIAN Bachelors 8.3 8.5 Masters 9.6 10.0 13.3 Doctors 13.0 UPPER 2 5 % 9.5 Bachelors 10.1 11.0 na Masters 15.8 na Doctors UPPER 10% 10.2 na Bachelors 12.0 na Masters 16.5 na Doctors
c
5-9
C&EN June 18, 1973
30-34
25-29
Salary Income
Salary I ncome Salary Income
Salary
ncome
Salary
ncome
$12.0 $12.0 11.3 13.2 15.0 16.0
$12.2 13.8 17.0
$14.0 14.0 17.0
$14.0 14.5 18.0
$14.7 13.2 17.0
$15.0 13.5 17.7
$13.9 13.4 18.0
$14.0 13.5 19.0
13.7 13.6 18.0
14.6 15.9 19.2
15.0 16.0 20.0
16.0 17.0 21.0
16.0 17.1 21.7
16.8 16.4 20.0
17.0 16.7 22.0
16.8 17.5 21.7
17.0 18.0 22.6
15.5 16.0 20.0
16.0 16.8 20.8
17.2 18.1 22.8
17.7 19.0 23.6
18.4 20.0 24.3
18.6 20.0 25.5
20.0 20.0 25.0
20.4 21.0 26.6
20.5 21.0 25.8
21.0 22.0 27.0
15.8 16.1 21.0
17.5 18.5 23.0
18.0 19.0 24.0
20.0 20.6 25.8
20.8 21.0 27.0
22.0 23.0 29.0
22.1 24.0 30.0
24.0 25.0 30.0
24.6 25.0 32.0
25.0 26.0 32.0
27.0 27.0 33.0
18.0 18.5 23.4
20.0 21.9 26.5
21.0 22.5 28.0
24.0 24.0 30.0
25.3 25.0 32.0
26.0 26.1 35.0
27.0 28.0 37.0
28.0 28.2 35.0
30.0 30.0 40.0
30.5 32.5 36.6
33.5 34.0 40.0
Salary
ncome
Salary
ncome
$ 8.4 9.5 11.0
$ 8.5 9.5 11.5
$10.0 10.0 12.2
$10.7 10.4 13.0
$12.0 10.5 14.0
9.7 10.3 12.5
9.8 10.8 13.7
11.9 12.0 14.4
12.0 12.5 15.1
13.5 13.4 16.5
11.0 12.0 16.0
11.0 12.0 16.5
13.3 14.2 18.0
13.4 14.6 18.5
12.1 13.5 18.0
12.5 14.1 18.3
15.5 16.0 20.5
13.7 15.2 19.6
14.0 16.0 20.0
17.3 18.0 22.7
a Salaries for chemists with one year or less of experience are taken from the ACS Starting Salary Survey for 1972 (C&EN, Oct. 2, 1972, page 14) because there were insufficient responses in this category in the current survey, b Median salary, in
8
20-24
15-19
10-14
thousands of dollars, c Median income, in thousands of dollars, includes salary plus fees, honorariums, and other professional income, na = not available. Source: ACS survey
Chemists' salaries vary irregularly by field Median annual salaries $ Thousands Analytical chemistry Biochemistry Inorganic chemistry Organic chemistry Physical chemistry Polymer chemistry Other specialties
B.S.
M.S.
Ph.D.
$15.6 16.0 16.2 17.0 17.0 18.0 18.0
$17.0 15.5
$19.5 21.0
16.0 18.0 18.0 18.6 18.0
17.0 20.3 20.4 22.4 22.0
$21.8 16.2 16.0 9.6
$23.0 17.5 17.2 12.6
$27.2 21.3 20.0 16.5
... and by work activity Management R&D Production and marketing Teaching
and marketing about 15, and in teaching about 20. Variations in chemists' salaries by area of the country are not large. The range at the B.S. level is from $15,700 to $17,300, at the M.S. level from $15,300 to $18,000, and for doctorates from $18,000 to $21,800. Variations in chemists' salaries by discipline brought out by the ACS survey are quite small, with a few exceptions. However, polymer chemists seem to have a slight edge over other fields with the highest median salaries at all degree levels—$18,600 for B.S., $18,600 for M.S., and $22,400 for Ph.D. In other fields, median salaries range down to $15,600 at the B.S. level for analytical chemists, to $15,500 at the M.S. level for biochemists, and to a rather hardto-believe $17,000 for Ph.D.'s in inorganic. The survey reveals that members of
40 +
Overall
Salary ncome Salary ncome Salary I ncome
$14.0 $14.0 14.0 14.7 17.4 16.8
Nonminority Oriental
They are better qualified.... B.S.
M.S.
Ph.D.
95.2% 3.1
Nonminority
30%
20%
50%
Minorities (combined)
20
20
60
Black
1.0
Spanish surnamed
0.6
American Indian
0.1
. . . but they earn less than their nonminority colleagues Annual salary ($ Thousands)
$5.0 to $14.9
$15.0 to $24.9
$25.0 to $34.9
Over $35.0
Nonminority 3
23%
50%
16%
4%
Minority 0
35
51
9
1
a For remaining 7%, salary is either unspecified or below $5000. b For remaining 4%, salary is either unspecified or below $5000. Source: ACS survey
Source: ACS survey
35-39
Minorities are 5% of chemists' ranks
$13.0 $13.0 11.0 11.0 13.5 14.1
$11.0 11.2 13.3
$11.1 11.8 14.2
16.8 17.0 20.5
16.8 17.5 22.0
17.3 16.0 18.0
19.2 17.8 19.2
13.4 14.0 16.9
13.8 14.5 17.5
20.0 21.3 25.8
20.4 22.0 27.5
22.0 20.5 25.0
23.5 21.2 27.0
16.8 17.5 20.5
17.0 18.0 21.3
26.8 26.0 32.0
27.5 28.8 35.0
30.0 27.0 30.0
31.0 29.0 32.3
20.7 21.4 25.0
21.1 22.0 26.5
33.0 33.0 38.5
33.5 33.5 40.0
35.0 35.0 38.5
35.0 35.0 50.0
26.0 26.0 31.0
27.1 27.5 33.0
minority groups constitute almost 5% of the chemist population. From the responses it is apparent that 3.1% are Oriental, 1.0% are black, 0.6% are Spanish surnamed, and 0.1% are American Indians. The group as a whole is a particularly well-qualified one. 60% are at the Ph.D. level including 67% of the Orientals. This compares with 50% for the nonminority group. However, in spite of these high qualifications, minority chemists are apparently not well paid. 35% of them earn less than $15,000 per year. This compares with only 23% for nonminority chemists. This relatively low rate of pay may be because a disproportionately large number of minority chemists are in the lower-paying education field. They may also tend to be younger than other chemists. These factors will likely be brought out in the full analysis of the data. Another minority within the ranks of chemists—women—is also analyzed in the survey. It turns out that they are slightly less well qualified than their male colleagues. They are also paid substantially less and they are much more likely to be out of work. Of respondents to the survey, 7.0%) were women. Their representation is much higher among the younger age groups, however—12.8% of those with one year of work experience or less, 10.3%) of those at work for two to four years, and 8.9% of those with five to nine years of work experience. 35%) of women chemists are at the B.S. level. This compares with 29% of the men. 32%) of the women are at the M.S. level, 19%) of the men. And Ph.D.'s make up 33%) of the ranks of women chemists and 52% of male chemists. The survey also brings out the fact that 4.2%) of women chemists are unemployed. This compares with 1.5%) for the men. When it comes to salaries women chemists do not fare well. On average, women B.S. chemists earn 74% as much
as their male colleagues. At the M.S. level they earn 72% and at the Ph.D. level 74% of the male salary. These differentials are slightly less sharp with the lower age and experience groups. Women B.S. chemists with up to nine years of work experience earn 94%) as much as men chemists. At the M.S. level, women with up to nine years of experience earn at 84% of the male level. However, the average salary for women Ph.D.'s with up to nine years of work experience is at only 77% of the corresponding male level. The new survey also clearly brings out just how widely the employment problems of the past several years have affected the chemical profession. Of those responding to the study, 12%) have been unemployed at some time since Jan. 1, 1969. 18.4% have changed jobs voluntarily during this period. Those polled were also asked if there had been cutbacks of chemists at their work location. 21.0% reported there were such cutbacks in 1969. This rate rose to 30.8% in 1970 and 35.0% in 1971 before dropping back to 28.7% last year. This rather sobering experience over these past four years may help to explain the relatively gloomy view that chemists have of the employment outlook for the next four years. Of the 9796 respondents with an opinion, 53% rate it as poor, 44% as good, and 3% as excellent. Those polled in the survey apparently have rather mixed reactions to questions concerning their possible interest in an unemployment insurance program provided through an insurance company to supplement state unemployment compensation programs. 33% of 11,138 responding stated that they would be interested in such a program. Of those responding to further questions on the topic, 91% think that a benefit of $70 to $200 per month is reasonable, 79% also think that a monthly premium of $7.00 to $15 is reasonable, and 82% allow that a benefit period of up to 26 weeks is satisfactory. June 18, 1973 C&EN
9
