💡 Why it matters: Industry, hospitals and government labs all need to measure exactly what is in things, so chemists with strong measuring skills are needed everywhere.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). (for chemists and materials scientists).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.6M – ₦3.8M
- Mid-career
- ₦3.8M – ₦9M
- Senior
- ₦9M – ₦20M
≈ ₦317k – ₦750k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Typical starter to experienced salary (profile: Chemist, also called Analytical chemist). National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Chemists and materials scientists (combined category). Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Chemist. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Test samples with machines and chemicals
- Measure pollution in water, soil and air
- Check medicines and foods for purity
- Keep and calibrate lab instruments
- Report results clearly
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Accuracy
- Chemistry knowledge
- Patience
- Analysis
- Teamwork
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Start as a lab technician in a company, research lab or regulator
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Laboratory technician or scientist apprenticeships (Level 3 to 6)
- Start as a lab technician and study part-time
🇺🇸 United States
- Start as a chemical or lab technician with an associate degree and move up
- Internships and co-op placements in industry labs
🇨🇦 Canada
- College chemical lab technician diploma, then work up
- Co-op programmes in university chemistry degrees
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Chemistry and Mathematics in school
- 2Take a Chemistry degree
- 3Do an industrial placement in a lab
- 4Join a company, research lab or regulator
- 5Specialise in water, drugs, food or oil analysis
⏰ A day in the life
A water sample arrives from a borehole. You prepare it, run it through a machine that measures minerals and metals, and compare the results with safe limits. Then you sign off the report.