Physical chemistry major

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>Hi, I'm thinking about pursuing a major in chemistry with a concentration in physical chemistry and possibly applying to grad school to get a MS right after or med or pharmacy school, most likely grad school. What jobs can I get at both the graduate and undergraduate level and how much do they pay annually? I hear the job market for chemists is pretty weak but that's not going to deter me from doing something I'm very interested in, I'm not crazy about money but I do like to be comfortable and then some. </p>

<p>Couldn't I get a job at a pharmaceutical company or hospital or factory making drugs or new materials? I'd really LOVE to do research as well (that's my main goal) as physical chemistry seems so interesting to me. How much would I get paid for doing research and is a masters enough to do research? I know I asked quite a few questions but I'd appreciate it very much if you guys could answer them all for me.</p>

<p>P.S. I live in metro Atlanta so I know there's Emory and Grady Memorial hospital, the CDC and many other places in healthcare here, could I use my undergrad and grad major for jobs at any of these places?</p>

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<p>Undergraduate work would pretty much entail whatever you can find. Some people get lucky with good jobs but nevertheless you will probably not be doing much physical chemistry…at least the fun kind that you would find interesting :slight_smile: The CDC has hired a few of my friends with BS degrees, mainly biologists though…the chemists are stuck running assays.</p>

<p>Graduate is another story and the work would more or less depend on what your thesis was and where your interests generally lie within the field of physical chemistry. MS is a waste of time and money IMO…first of all you have to actually pay for tuition (they pay you to get your PhD on the flip side of things) and it generally doesn’t offer you too much more flexibility/opportunities either. Most people I’ve known get their MS because they couldn’t get directly into PhD program/med school with their undergraduate grades.</p>

<p>Salaries are going to vary between sectors, public or private, the funding your company receives, how well you can haggle/have the capacity to haggle your “price” and how lucky you get…</p>