Career comparison
Chemist vs. Materials Scientist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Materials scientists earn more at the median ($117,790 vs. $91,240), while chemists usually get to work faster (4+ years of training). Chemists study substances and create new materials, medicines and products. Materials scientists research new materials for batteries, electronics and medicine.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Chemist | Materials Scientist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $91,240 ($43.87/hr) | $117,790 ($56.63/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $58,460 – $160,830 | $66,820 – $197,290 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +6.4% (faster than average) | +8.3% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 5,900 | 600 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4+ years | 4+ years of study |
| Key credential | ACS-certified degree | Ph.D. |
| Work setting | Chemists work in labs and offices in industry, government and universities.. | Materials scientists work in labs at companies, national labs and universities.. |
What each job does
Chemist
- Design and run experiments
- Analyze substances with instruments
- Develop new products and processes
- Interpret data
- Write reports and procedures
Materials Scientist
- Synthesize materials
- Characterize structure
- Test properties
- Analyze data
- Write papers
How they’re similar
Both careers involve indoor work, working with information, problem-solving, and high-pay. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose chemist if…
- I love chemistry
- I enjoy experiments
- I like solving puzzles
Choose materials scientist if…
- I like chemistry and physics
- I love lab work
- I’m curious
Still torn? Take the Chemist fit quiz and the Materials Scientist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, chemist or materials scientist?
Materials Scientists earn more at the median: $117,790 versus $91,240 for chemists, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Chemists typically train faster (4+ years) than materials scientists (4+ years of study).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects materials scientists to grow +8.3% from 2025–35, compared with +6.4% for chemists.