Jobs / Science and research / 19-2031.00
Chemists
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.
- US jobs
- 82,770
- Median wage
- $91,240 a year
- Job family
- Science and research
Can agents do the work of chemists?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Science and research:
- Task levelPartialThin evidence. CORE-Bench asks agents to reproduce the results of published papers in computer science, social science, and medicine from the authors' code and data. Princeton's HAL team declared it solved in December 2025: Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.5 scored 95.5% after manual regrading. No benchmark in our collection tests new experiments or lab work.
- Project levelNot yetThin evidence. On PaperBench, where agents replicate machine learning papers from scratch, the best official result is 26.0% (o1, April 2025). On a small subset, ML PhDs scored 41.4% against o1's 26.6%. No newer official results exist, and no benchmark tests research projects in other sciences.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in science and research, not always this occupation's tasks.
- 95.5%Claude Code + Claude Opus 4.5 (after manual regrading) · 3 Dec 2025Solved
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods.
- Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques.
- Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis.
- Conduct quality control tests.
- Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests.
- 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.
- Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions.
- Confer with scientists or engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests.
- Evaluate laboratory safety procedures to ensure compliance with standards or to make improvements as needed.
- Direct, coordinate, or advise personnel in test procedures for analyzing components or physical properties of materials.
- Purchase laboratory supplies, such as chemicals, when supplies are low or near their expiration date.
Other job titles for this occupation (62)
Air Quality Chemist · Analytical Chemist · Chemical Lab Scientist (Chemical Laboratory Scientist) · Chemist · Forensic Chemist · Product Development Chemist · QC Chemist (Quality Control Chemist) · R and D Chemist (Research and Development Chemist) · Research Chemist · Scientist · Agricultural Chemist · Analytical Scientist · Assay Development Scientist · Astrochemist · Bench Chemist · Bench Scientist · Ceramic Chemist · Cereal Chemist · Chemical Analyst · Chemistry Scientist · Coal Chemist · Control Chemist · Cosmetic Chemist · Dairy Chemist · Electrochemist · Environmental Field Chemist · Field Chemist · Food Chemist · Food Processing Chemist · Formulary Chemist · Formulation Chemist · Formulation Scientist · Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Analyst (GCMS Analyst) · Industrial Chemist · Inorganic Chemist · Lab Chemist (Laboratory Chemist) · Lab Pack Chemist (Laboratory Pack Chemist) · Medical Chemist · Metal Analyst · Mix Chemist · Nuclear Chemist · Nutritional Chemist · Oil Expert · Organic Chemist · Patent Chemist · Pesticide Chemist · Pharmaceutical Analyst · Pharmaceutical Chemist · Pharmaceutical Scientist · Physical Chemist · Physiological Chemist · Process Chemist · Process Development Scientist · Production Chemist · QC Scientist (Quality Control Scientist) · Research Scientist · Rubber Chemist · Sanitary Chemist · Soil Chemist · Textile Chemist · Water Chemist · Wet Chemistry Analyst