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ANZSCO 2343Skill level 1Science and environment

Chemist

Investigate the composition and properties of substances and develop new materials, formulations and processes.

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Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1900Job Outlook (2025-06-01)
Graduate starting salary$70,000QILT (2025-03-01)

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What a chemist actually does

Chemists spend a lot of the day in a lab coat at a bench or fume hood, running reactions, prepping samples and operating analytical instruments such as NMR, mass spectrometers, GC-MS and HPLC. Mornings usually start with a planning huddle, then setting up the day's experiments and queueing instruments. Afternoons shift to interpreting spectra, working up data in Excel or Python, and writing experimental records into a lab notebook or electronic lab system. Quality-control chemists in manufacturing follow tighter routines tied to batch testing, while research chemists in pharmaceuticals, materials or universities have more variable days driven by experimental campaigns. Hours sit around 38 to 42 per week in industry and government labs. Academic and PhD-era chemists often stretch longer, particularly during reaction sequences or write-up periods. Most roles are on-site five days a week because the work is bench-based; remote work is rare outside of writing and modelling roles.

Typical tasks

  • Plan and conduct laboratory experiments.
  • Analyse samples using spectroscopy and chromatography.
  • Write technical reports and patents.

Skills you'll use

  • Synthetic and analytical chemistry techniques
  • Operating NMR, mass spectrometry, HPLC, GC and IR instruments
  • Lab safety, risk assessments and chemical waste handling
  • Statistical data analysis in Excel, R or Python
  • Reading and writing for peer-reviewed and technical literature
  • Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in pharma and food labs
  • Translating chemistry into written technical reports for non-chemists

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 12 with English, Chemistry and Maths Methods or Advanced; Physics or Biology helps for some specialisations
  2. 2Complete a 3-year Bachelor of Science with a chemistry major, or a Bachelor of Advanced Science / Bachelor of Science (Honours) program
  3. 3Add an Honours year (1 year of research project plus thesis) since most professional chemist roles in Australia expect at least Honours
  4. 4Gain practical lab experience through internships, summer scholarships, or research-assistant placements during your degree
  5. 5Apply for graduate roles in pharmaceuticals, materials, mining, defence, food or government labs, or move into a PhD for research-led careers
  6. 6Complete a PhD (3-4 years) if you plan to lead research at CSIRO, DSTG or a university, or join Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) for membership and CPD

Where you can work

  • CSIRO and ANSTO research divisions
  • Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG)
  • Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical-device companies
  • Mining, minerals processing and metallurgical labs
  • Food, beverage and agricultural product manufacturers
  • Universities (teaching and research-active institutions)
  • State and federal government regulatory and forensic labs (NMI, AGAL, state forensic services)

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Graduate
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Graduate chemist, QC chemist, Analytical chemist
    Salary band: $65,000 - $80,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. PhD candidate
    0-4 years
    Typical roles: PhD student on stipend, Research scholar
    Salary band: $32,000 - $42,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior chemist
    3-8 years
    Typical roles: Senior analytical chemist, Senior R&D chemist, Formulation scientist
    Salary band: $95,000 - $130,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Principal chemist or Lab manager
    9-15 years
    Typical roles: Principal scientist, Laboratory manager, R&D team leader
    Salary band: $130,000 - $175,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  5. Director or Chief Scientist
    15+ years
    Typical roles: Director of R&D, Chief scientist, Head of analytical sciences

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You enjoy bench work and find satisfaction in clean, reproducible data
  • You are methodical and patient with multi-step procedures
  • You are comfortable with long-tail study (Honours and often a PhD)
  • You can write up methods and findings clearly for non-chemists
  • You are happy working largely on-site in a lab rather than from home

This might not suit you if

  • You want a mostly outdoors or people-facing job
  • You dislike repetitive procedure and tight quality controls
  • You want a high starting salary straight out of a 3-year degree
  • You are not comfortable handling hazardous chemicals or solvents

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for chemist. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

No direct TAFE pathway to this career.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.