Chemistry: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 40.05. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,085 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 40 | 89 | Data unavailable | $50,784 | $12,500 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 254 | 1,017 | $36,707 | $51,597 | $19,500 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,188 | 12,590 | $47,486 | $65,120 | $20,500 180 programs |
| Master's degree | 341 | 2,540 | $67,416 | $82,937 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 221 | 3,151 | $93,787 | $115,386 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 39 | 47 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $84,338 | $88,364 | Data unavailable |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $65,943 | $63,882 | Data unavailable |
| Western New England University MA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $63,988 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| San Diego State University CA · Public · 57 graduates measured | $63,412 | $74,676 | $19,405 |
| University of Delaware DE · Public · 22 graduates measured | $62,270 | $84,428 | $23,250 |
| Bloomfield College of Montclair State University NJ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $60,121 | $74,401 | $25,500 |
| Montclair State University NJ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $60,121 | $74,401 | $25,500 |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $60,075 | $82,185 | $29,750 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $59,968 | Data unavailable | $25,130 |
| Michigan Technological University MI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $59,947 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $59,501 | $74,568 | $22,000 |
| Rutgers University-Camden NJ · Public · 51 graduates measured | $59,390 | $73,245 | $19,500 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 51 graduates measured | $59,390 | $73,245 | $19,500 |
| Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public · 51 graduates measured | $59,390 | $73,245 | $19,500 |
| Southern Connecticut State University CT · Public · 22 graduates measured | $58,970 | $72,838 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Institute of Technology IL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $92,821 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $88,194 | $109,388 | Data unavailable |
| Ohio University-Main Campus OH · Public · 87 graduates measured | $79,373 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville IL · Public · 16 graduates measured | $71,904 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $69,684 | $95,163 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $69,663 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of New Haven CT · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $69,135 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington NC · Public · 35 graduates measured | $68,087 | $99,106 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $62,582 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgia State University GA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $59,518 | $78,070 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 55 graduates measured | $118,439 | $125,069 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $117,537 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 21 graduates measured | $115,070 | $148,634 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $114,583 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 30 graduates measured | $114,377 | $123,152 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $112,724 | $132,569 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 35 graduates measured | $111,234 | $114,619 | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 33 graduates measured | $110,341 | $131,278 | Data unavailable |
| Stanford University CA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $110,313 | $170,898 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Irvine CA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $108,845 | $117,395 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 38 graduates measured | $107,736 | $115,630 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Riverside CA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $106,653 | $118,789 | Data unavailable |
| University of Akron Main Campus OH · Public · 19 graduates measured | $106,168 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $102,047 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $101,959 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Chemistry
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and information research scientists | $140,300 | +21.8% | Master's degree |
| Computer occupations, all other | $116,580 | +5.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemists | $91,240 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $82,220 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Food science technicians | $52,130 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Chemical technicians | $60,390 | +4.9% | Associate's degree |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | $55,090 | +6.9% | Associate's degree |
| Forensic science technicians | $72,060 | +13.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemistry teachers, postsecondary | $93,250 | +2.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | $94,980 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physics teachers, postsecondary | $100,310 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (12)
- 40.0501 Chemistry, General
- 40.0502 Analytical Chemistry
- 40.0503 Inorganic Chemistry
- 40.0504 Organic Chemistry
- 40.0506 Physical Chemistry
- 40.0507 Polymer Chemistry
- 40.0508 Chemical Physics
- 40.0509 Environmental Chemistry
- 40.0510 Forensic Chemistry
- 40.0511 Theoretical Chemistry
- 40.0512 Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics
- 40.0599 Chemistry, Other