How to hire chemists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques. • Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions. • Conduct quality control tests. • Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods. • Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis. • Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed. • Prepare test solutions, compounds, or reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct tests. • Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong science, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, active listening and mathematics skills • Working knowledge of chemistry, English Language and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $43.87 an hour ($91,240 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for chemists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to conduct quality control tests. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you used scientific or technical knowledge to solve a work problem.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What chemists do
- Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques.
- Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions.
- Conduct quality control tests.
- Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods.
- Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis.
- Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed.
- Prepare test solutions, compounds, or reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct tests.
- Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for chemists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +6.4% over ten years, faster than average · about 5,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay chemists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $140,670 |
| Delaware | $129,860 |
| Massachusetts | $125,000 |
| Oregon | $104,590 |
| Louisiana | $103,890 |
| Wisconsin | $78,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,090 |
| Oklahoma | $74,960 |
See chemists pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.