Features EMPLOYMENT
The job landscape for new grads Salaries and unemployment rate haven’t improved for chemists just out of college ANDREA WIDENER, C&EN WASHINGTON
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ewly minted bachelor’s degree chemists continue to face high unemployment and flat salaries, according to an annual survey of recent graduates by the American Chemical Society.
The unemployment rate for chemists earning bachelor’s degrees in 2015 is down to 12.3% in 2015 from 13.2% in 2014—and a peak of 14.9% in 2013. But it remains far higher than for chemists overall, who had an unemployment rate of 3.1% in 2015 (C&EN, Nov. 9, 2015, page 30). Of new bachelor’s degree recipients who got jobs, slightly more found permanent positions in 2015: 29.8%, compared with 28.0% in 2014. The group’s median salary rose from $40,000 in 2014 to $41,000 in 2015. The largest number of recent bachelor’s
degree grads—33.9%—went on to graduate school, down from 35.1% in 2014. And this year, for the first time in at least a decade, the survey shows that the median salary for men and women is equal, at $40,000. The survey includes respondents at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels who graduated between July 2014 and June 2015. The following tables and charts highlight data from 1,542 bachelor’s degree awardees because they made up the vast majority of respondents. This is the last time C&EN will be pre-
senting this and other surveys in this format. ACS is changing how it is surveying its members to get a more accurate view of whom ACS members are. We will be changing how we report that in response. More details are coming soon. For more on the survey, visit bit.ly/2bLc3vv. ◾
Growing diversity The percentage of black graduates is up from 4.4% in 2014. The percentage of new graduates who identify themselves as Hispanic is also up, from 7.6% in 2014. White
72.4% Asian
Bound for grad school The largest percentage of recent college graduates went on to graduate school, followed closely by those who got full-time, permanent jobs. The unemployment rate of 12.3% is slightly lower than that reported in 2014.
Black 5.5%
2015
2014
13.0%
Multiracial
Graduate school
4.6% Other 35.1%
3.6%
33.9%
American Indian 0.9%
Full-time, permanent 28.0%
29.8%
Hispanic
Full-time, temporary
10.1%
12.8%
Note: The question of Hispanic origin was asked separately.
Unemployed, seeking 13.2%
12.3%
Part-time 9.4% Not seeking employment 4.1%
7.1% 4.0%
Note for all graphs: Survey of new graduates in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields at universities that agreed to share their information with ACS. Data collected between October 2015 and January 2016 from 1,974 people who graduated between July 2014 and June 2015. Only bachelor’s degree data reported. A total of 1,542 responses were collected from bachelor’s degree recipients.
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10.3%
Who makes the highest salary? Median salaries for recent college graduates varied widely by degree, field, and experience, according to ACS’s 2015 survey. Chemical engineers with bachelor’s degrees reported far higher median earnings than their counterparts with chemistry bachelor’s degrees. Chemistry Chemical engineering $68,000 $39,156
Government jobs paid recent graduates the highest median salaries in the 2015 survey. Those in academia are likely graduate students. Government Industry Academia $42,500
$36,000
$41,000
Recent graduates working in development and design jobs received the highest median salaries, followed by those working in professional services such as consulting.a Development & design Professional service Production/quality control Research $53,400 $50,000 $42,000 $41,125 Teaching $39,841
Management or administration Other $31,100 $36,550
Recent graduates who reported the largest amount of hands-on work experience also received the highest median salaries. More than 36 months
12–36 months
$44,500
Less than 12 months $40,000 $42,000
a Full-time, permanent employees only.
Chemistry leads the pack Of recent grads who went on for an advanced degree, the largest percentage went to chemistry graduate school, followed closely by those going into medicine. Chemistry Medicine Pharmacy/pharmacology Biochemistry Chemical/biochemical engineering Life sciences Physical science, computer science, math Education
31.0% 27.7%
Equal pay for women The median salaries for women and men who earned bachelor’s degrees are equal in the 2015 survey at $40,000 for the first time in at least a decade, though it was close in 2009.
12.9%
Salary, $ thousand
7.1% 4.2% 4.2% 4.0% 3.5%
◾ Men ◾ Women
45 40 35 30
Born in the U.S.A. Only a small fraction of recent chemistry graduates with bachelor’s degrees are in the U.S. on temporary visas. That contrasts with the large percentage of doctoral students who come to the U.S. on temporary visas.
U.S. permanent resident 3.1% U.S. naturalized Temporary visa 6.4% 1.4%
25 20 2006 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Note: Salaries in current dollars.
U.S. born 89.1%
SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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