Expert: Dr. Jeffery Raymond - 6/1/2010

Question
i have completed my +2.now i'am confused.i like chemistry a lot.but my parents are saying taking a degree in chemistry is useless and spoil my life.they are telling me to go for engg.please tell me,is there  good job oppurtunities taking a career in chem.can i get a well paid job?i'am not interested in teaching.Also tell me is there good oppurtunities in US b'cos i wold get a chance to go to US in coming years.please answer me as fast as u could.i'am very confused.........

Answer
Please note that I am a US Scientist and have little personal experience with education and job markets outside the US.

In Brief:
Yes there are, but for international applicants in the US it is much harder and often will require a PhD from an accredited US institution.

Degree Selection:
If you intend on obtaining a 4 year or MS degree, then chemical engineering is a much more lucrative degree.  Not only will it allow you to still have a strong chemistry background, it also allows you to demand higher salaries for similar work.  Field of study and research experience are more important than the major when applying to PhD programs. Most PhD programs are multidisciplinary in nature, or at least the research is.  For example: being able to say "I have experience characterizing carbon nanotubes" will be much more important than whether you got a degree in physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, chemical engineering or material science.  If you do intend on going to grad school in the US, then I lean strongly towards chemical engineering or materials science for your undergrad if you want to do chemistry research.  All chemistry PhD programs here will accept people from these fields, but the reverse is not necessarily true.  Almost any chemical engineering or materials engineering programs will have a way to concentrate in the chemistry aspects.

Regarding US Jobs:
The prospects are bleak for non-citizens who do not hold a PhD.  Even with a PhD from a US institution, many organizations expect you to do all of your own visa work.  This is true regardless of the degree you have or your field of expertise.  Also, many industries which have traditionally had high international employment rates (pharma, biotech, electronics chemicals etc.) have laid off a lot of people in the last few years.  With the unemployment of scientists and engineers reaching an all time high in the US, many companies are finding that they can pay US scientists significantly less than before.  This makes the competition very steep for international applicants.  This said, two fields that are still in high demand are alternative energy and sensors research.  But again, it is less about the specific degree and more about the materials and instrumentation experience.  

Non-traditional careers are also on the rise.  That is to say, people with chemistry and engineering experience have been moving into fields such as business, law, and policy more often.  So using a science/engineering four year degree to get into patent law, investment, or management are all really good options.

----------

Choose each step of your education so as to have the maximum number of options on completion.  Even if you know exactly what type of work you want to do and where you want to do it, choose the most flexible path to that goal.  Life will happen and goals always change. It's those professionals which position themselves early to be able to reorient on new goals and move with new developments which will get the most out of changing environments.  I love chemistry but, simply put, BS or MS chemists do not have the same options as chemical/materials engineers with the same level of education.  This makes me lean towards one of these two degrees, with course selection made to maximize the chemistry aspects.  Also, make sure to use the next couple years to get some hands on experience in a lab, even if you have to take an unpaid internship/research assistantship. Having your degree say "Chemistry" on it and being a chemist are two different things.

Good luck!