1976
Salaries continue to increase for Salaries of experienced chemical professionals
Chemical Professionals The median annual salaries of experi enced chemists and chemical engineers continued their upward trend between 1974 and 1975. On the other hand, preliminary data indicate that the median annual sala ries of starting chemists have either decreased or increased only slightly, depending on their degree level, but the starting salary picture for new chemical engineering graduates is de cidedly better. These are some of the main findings of two salary surveys conducted this year, as in previous years, by ACS's department of professional relations and manpower studies. One survey has been published as the 1975 Report of Chemists' Salaries and Employment Status (C&EN, June 23, page 20). The other will be published as the 1975 Survey Report of Starting Salaries and Employment Status of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Graduates. The results of the starting salary survey are only preliminary, awaiting the compi lation of additional data. The ACS study on the salaries of ex perienced chemists and chemical engi neers shows that the median annual salaries of bachelor-degree chemists rose from $17,500 in 1974 to $19,000 in 1975 (an increase of 8.6%). For chem ists with master's degrees, their medi an annual salaries climbed from $18,400 in 1974 to $19,800 in 1975 (a gain of 7.6%). For Ph.D.'s, they rose from $21,700 in 1974 to $23,000 in 1975 (a gain of 6.0%). The median annual salaries of expe rienced chemical engineers have like wise been increasing. For chemical en gineers with bachelor's degrees, median annual salaries grew from $21,300 in
1974 to $24,000 in 1975 (a gain of 12.7%). For chemical engineers with master's degrees, median annual sala ries grew from $22,400 in 1974 to $25,000 in 1975 (a rise of 11.6%). For Ph.D. chemical engineers, median sal aries increased from $24,800 to $26,000 (a rise of 4.8%). Despite the effects of inflation, chemists' incomes in terms of real buying power were on the increase for many years. In the past two years, however, the cost of living has risen faster than have the median annual salaries of chemists at all three degree levels. In terms of constant 1967 dollars, which reflect actual consumer purchas ing power, the median annual salaries of B.S. chemists, for example, declined from $12,600 in 1973 to $11,800 in 1974 and to $11,700 in 1975. For Ph.D. chemists, median annual salaries in constant 1967 dollars decreased from $15,400 in 1973 to $14,700 in 1974 and to $14,200 in 1975. Like all employees, chemists in recent years have seen their incomes seriously eroded by the rising cost of living. The salaries of experienced chemists depend on a variety of factors, includ ing their type of employer, work activi ty, and chemical specialty. In the case of Ph.D. chemists, median annual sala ries in 1975 (in current dollars) were $25,300 in industry, $18,000 in educa tion, $24,700 in government, $21,900 in nonprofit organizations, and $25,500 if they were self-employed. In terms of their work activity, Ph.D. chemists earned 1975 median annual salaries of $23,000 in R&D, $30,000 in management, $17,800 in teaching, and $24,000 in the combined category of
marketing, sales, production, and qual ity control. In terms of their chemical specialty, Ph.D. chemists in 1975 earned median annual salaries of $21,600 if they were analytical chemists, $22,000 if organic chemists, $22,800 if biochemists, $25,100 if polymer chemists, $22,000 if physical chemists, and $19,100 if inor ganic chemists. Typically, experienced women chem ists earn less than their male counter parts. In 1975 the median annual sala ry of B.S. women chemists in industry was $14,800, compared to $20,000 for a B.S. male chemist also working in in dustry. If they worked for the govern ment, the median salary was $16,700 for women and $19,800 for men. Among Ph.D. chemists, women em ployed in industry had a median annu al salary of $20,900, compared to $25,500 for men. Women Ph.D. chem ists fared better if they worked for the government, where they earned a me dian of $24,900, compared to $24,600 for their male counterparts. The 1975 ACS data on the median annual salaries of all experienced chemists compared to the median sala ries of minority chemists (those who are black, American Indian, Oriental, or Spanish-surnamed) present a mixed picture. That is, the median salaries of all chemists—depending on their de gree level and years of professional ex perience—were the same as, more than, or less than the salaries of minor ity chemists. These data, which ex clude chemists who are teachers or are self-employed, show that the median annual salary of all Ph.D. chemists with 10 to 14 years of experience was $25,000 and was the same for minority
Starting salaries in 1975 were down for B.S.'s and up for M.S.'s and Ph.D.'s Chemists' median annual starting salaries ($ thousands)
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chemists with the same number of years of experience. The median annual salary of all Ph.D. chemists with 15 to 19 years of experience was $27,000, compared to $25,300 for minority chemists with the same amount of experience. And for all Ph.D. chemists with 20 to 24 years of experience, the median was $29,000, compared to $30,000 for minority chemists with an equal length of experience. The 1975 Economic Survey of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers indicates that the median annual salary of AIChE members was $22,000 in 1975, compared to $19,500 in 1974. The report does not give separate figures for the median annual salaries of chemical engineers based solely on their degree level. In both 1974 and 1975, the median age of the chemical engineers surveyed by AIChE was 36. Only 0.8% of the 1975 respondents were women, compared to 0.9% in 1974. (About 8% of ACS members are women.) The preliminary results of the 1975 ACS starting salary survey, which is based on returns from 1500 inexperienced chemists and chemical engineers and represents close to 40% of the total expected returns, are reported here for the first time. The survey shows that the median annual starting salary of inexperienced bachelor-degree chemists working full-time in the chemical profession declined 4% from $9900 in 1974 to $9500 in 1975. The median annual starting salary of master-degree chemists rose from $11,700 in 1974 to $11,800 in 1975 (a gain of only 1%). The median starting salary of Ph.D. chemists increased only 2% from $16,200 to $16,600. The median annual starting salaries of inexperienced chemical engineers employed full-time in the chemical profession were much higher than those of their chemist counterparts at all degree levels. Also at all degree levels, the median starting salaries of chemical engineers increased markedly between 1974 and 1975, particularly for those with B.S. or Ph.D. degrees. The medium annual starting salary of inexperienced bachelor-degree chemical engineers rose 13% from $12,600 in 1974 to $14,200 in 1975. The median starting salary of M.S. chemical engineers increased 6% from $14,000 in 1974 to $14,900 in 1975. For Ph.D. chemical engineers, the median jumped from $17,600 to $20,400 (an increase of 16%). In comparing starting salaries of male chemists with those of female chemists, the preliminary 1975 data show that the median annual starting salary of inexperienced B.S. chemists who worked for manufacturing industries was $10,200 if they were men and 13% greater, $11,500, if they were women. (Comparisons of the 1975 starting salaries of male and female chemists who have higher degrees or work for other types of employers are
Median starting salaries depend on geographical location WEST NORTH CENTRAL
EAST NORTH CENTRAL
B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
$9,600 $14,000
$10,500 $14,000
NEW ENGLAND B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
$8,300 a
y MOUNTAIN
•MIDDLE ATLANTIC
B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
B.S. chemists $10,100 B.S. Ch.E. $14,100
.SOUTH ATLANTIC B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
PACIFIC B.S. chemists $9,600 B.S. Ch.E. $13,800
WEST SOUTH CENTRAL B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
$8,400 $14,700
$8,500 $14,400
EAST SOUTH CENTRAL B.S. chemists B.S. Ch.E.
a $14,400
a Insufficient data. Source: Preliminary data from ACS 1975 starting salary survey
not yet possible because not enough ACS data have been compiled.) The finding that the median annual starting salary of inexperienced B.S. chemists working in industry was greater for women than for men was first noted in 1974. At that time, the median for new B.S. chemists working in industry was $10,400 for men and $10,800 for women. For new B.S. chemists working in colleges and universities, the median was $7600 for men and $7800 for women. These higher salaries for women are believed to result mainly from the greater competition for new women chemistry graduates as employers seek to meet the goals of government-regulated affirmative action programs. The median starting salaries of inexperienced chemical professionals vary, as already noted, with their type of employer. The preliminary results of the 1975 ACS survey show that the median starting salary was $10,500 for bachelor-degree chemists working for manufacturing industrial employers, $9000 for those working for nonmanufacturing industrial employers, $9600 for state and local governments, $8500 for high schools, $8000 for hospital and independent laboratories, and $7500 for colleges and universities. (Some employer categories are not mentioned here because of insufficient data.) Among bachelor-degree chemical engineers, the median annual starting salary was $14,400 for those working for manufacturing industrial employers and $14,100 for those working for nonmanufacturing industrial employers. Among new 1975 bachelor-degree chemists, 17.4% report that they are employed full-time in chemistry or chemical engineering. In addition, 34.0% are working as graduate assistants, 29.4% are not seeking full-time
employment, 10.1% are unable to obtain full-time employment, 5.5% are working outside the chemical profession, and 3.6% are in the military or Peace Corps. Among new 1975 Ph.D. chemists, 45.5% are employed full-time in the chemical profession, 49.1% have postdoctoral or other fellowships, 0.9% are not seeking full-time employment, 1.8% are unable to obtain full-time employment, and 2.7% are in the military or Peace Corps. Among new 1975 bachelor-degree chemical engineers, 62.7% are employed full-time in the chemical profession. Another 18.9% are employed as graduate assistants, 7.5% are not seeking full-time employment, 5.0% are unable to obtain full-time employment, 4.3% are working outside the chemical profession, and 1.6% are in the military or Peace Corps. And among new Ph.D. chemical engineers, 88.1% are working full-time in the chemical profession, 7.1% have postdoctoral or other fellowships, and 4.8% are working outside the profession. In the 1975 survey, new chemistry graduates who plan to do advanced study were asked to specify the field in which they intended to do their advanced work. Preliminary results indicate that 44.0% of the new bachelordegree chemists plan advanced study in the chemical profession (32.8% in chemistry, 9.4% in biochemistry, and 1.8% in chemical engineering). In addition, 2.1% will take advanced study in another physical science, 1.5% in another engineering field, 2.5% in a life science, 27.4% in medicine, 3.8% in dentistry, 2.5% in pharmacy, 4.1% in business administration, 0.7% in law, and 0.3% in social science. Another 3.4% specified some other field of advanced study, and 7.7% did not indicate any specific field. D Oct. 27.1975C&EN
41
