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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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21101.00 – Chemists

Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Agricultural chemist
  • Analytical chemist
  • Bioanalytical chemist
  • Biochemist
  • Chemist
  • Clinical chemist
  • Coatings chemist
  • Electrochemist
  • Environmental chemist
  • Food chemist
  • Inorganic chemist
  • Medicinal chemist
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist
  • Oceanographic chemist
  • Organic chemist
  • Organic mass spectrometrist
  • Organometallic chemist
  • Pharmacological chemist
  • Physical chemist
  • Polymer chemist
  • Quality control chemist
  • Research chemist
  • Soil chemist
  • Textile chemist
  • Theoretical chemist

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving to identify quality issues in data and find alternative methods, such as changing testing conditions or implementing new purification techniques to ensure products consistently meet standards
  • Reading Comprehension to stay updated with the latest research findings in chemistry and other connected disciplines and use the new information to create or synthesize new products and processes
  • Categorization Flexibility and Information Ordering to adapt to new information during a chemical experimental design, apply different categorization rules and order operations in a logical and efficient sequence to achieve accurate and reproducible results
  • Pattern Identification and Inductive Reasoning to recognize patterns in chemical reactions and draw meaningful conclusions from experimental data to guide new avenues of research or unexpected applications of a substance
  • Attention to Detail to perform precise measurements, handle substances carefully and follow protocols strictly to ensure accurate results
  • Knowledge in Chemistry to understand chemical properties, interactions, and applications to conduct chemical research and to carry out complex experiments to advance understanding in the field

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
  • Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
  • Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
  • Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
  • Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
  • Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
  • Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
  • Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
  • Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
  • May participate in the commercialization of new products
  • May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.

Additional information

  • Mobility between occupations in this group is possible with experience.
  • Mobility is possible with experience, to occupations concerned with plant management, technical sales and the development and management of regulatory programs and teaching professions.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

2 – Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

Sub-major group

211 – Professional occupations in natural sciences

Minor group

2110 – Physical science professionals

Unit group

21101 – Chemists

Occupational profile

21101.00 – Chemists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 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. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.