Florida·Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations·SOC 19-2031

Best Chemist programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment

Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or.

25 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 710 people a year. The job pays a median of $82,740 in Florida across about 1,490 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledChemistScientistResearch ChemistAnalytical ChemistOil ExpertMix ChemistAstrochemistCoal Chemist
Graduates / yr
710
in Florida
Median pay · Florida
$82,740
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,490
people employed
Schools
25
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
63%
across those schools
Median net price
$28,325
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

3 programs in Florida that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Florida page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 40.0501In Florida
698
98.3%
24$42,620$23,900
2
Chemistry, Othermain feeder
CIP 40.0599In Florida
10
1.4%
3$42,620$23,900
3
CIP 40.0510In Florida
2
0.3%
1$42,620$23,900

Top 25 schools in Florida

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 7 of the 25 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Florida
Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
222Chemistry, General$25,41891%24%
2University of South Florida
Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
83Chemistry, General$29,39977%43%
3Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
82Chemistry, General$40,62986%24%
4Florida International University
Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
77Chemistry, General$28,66074%55%
5University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
65Chemistry, General$43,63478%40%
6Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
29Chemistry, General$35,01563%66%
7University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
23Chemistry, General84%$26,58919%
8University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
22Chemistry, General59%58%
9University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
18Chemistry, General$31,66369%53%
10The University of Tampa
Tampa, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
16Chemistry, General64%$33,07040%
11Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
9Chemistry, General53%21%
12Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
8Chemistry, General64%$33,58558%
13Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Chemistry, General71%$28,32564%
14Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Chemistry, General51%$25,81357%
15Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Chemistry, General63%$31,67273%
16Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
6Chemistry, Other55%$32,03182%
17Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
5Chemistry, General66%$31,02276%
18Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
5Chemistry, General57%63%
19Stetson University
DeLand, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
5Chemistry, General62%$21,94872%
20Barry University
Miami, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
4Chemistry, General38%$24,71977%
21St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
3Chemistry, General48%$25,46498%
22Bethune - Cookman University
Daytona Beach, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Chemistry, General31%$16,81888%
23PENSACOLA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
Pensacola, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Chemistry, General
24Rollins College
Winter Park, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Chemistry, General75%$31,43848%
25Florida Memorial University
Miami Gardens, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Chemistry, General31%$21,05985%

All 25 schools in Florida

Every school in Florida with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Florida that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of FloridaGainesvillePublic2221
University of South FloridaTampaPublic831
Florida State UniversityTallahasseePublic822
Florida International UniversityMiamiPublic771
University of Central FloridaOrlandoPublic651
Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca RatonPublic291
University of MiamiCoral GablesPrivate not-for-profit231
University of West FloridaPensacolaPublic221
University of North FloridaJacksonvillePublic181
The University of TampaTampaPrivate not-for-profit161
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahasseePublic91
Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbournePrivate not-for-profit82
Florida Southern CollegeLakelandPrivate not-for-profit71
Jacksonville UniversityJacksonvillePrivate not-for-profit71
Nova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdalePrivate not-for-profit71

What chemists earn in Florida

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Florida
$82,740
Mean annual
$91,600
Jobs in state
1,490
What the range looks like
10th pct$50,200Median$82,74090th pct$150,840
Versus the national median
-9.3%

U.S. median $91,240. Florida pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.28×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Florida

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
$105,770median
30 jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
$123,840median
50 jobs
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
$97,470median
40 jobs
Gainesville, FL
$96,110median
30 jobs
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
$82,850median
40 jobs
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
$90,640median
30 jobs
Jacksonville, FL
$81,330median
120 jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$81,640median
60 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+4.9%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
6,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
4,300
86,800 → 91,000
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Chemists page.

How to become a Chemist

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

ScienceCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingWritingActive Listening

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Florida

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 14 majors mapped to Chemists13 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 40.0501Chemistry, General
  • 40.0502Analytical Chemistry
  • 40.0503Inorganic Chemistry
  • 40.0504Organic Chemistry
  • 40.0506Physical Chemistry
  • 40.0507Polymer Chemistry
  • 40.0508Chemical Physics
  • 40.0509Environmental Chemistry
  • 40.0510Forensic Chemistry
  • 40.0511Theoretical Chemistry
  • 40.0512Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics(no graduates reported)
  • 40.0599Chemistry, Other
  • 40.1002Materials Chemistry
  • 51.2004Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Common questions

Answers for people weighing chemists programs in Florida.

What degree do you need to become a Chemist?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Chemistry, General, which awarded 698 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 98.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Chemist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Chemistry. Together they graduate about 710 people a year in Florida.

How much do chemists earn in Florida?+

The median is $82,740 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.3% below the U.S. median of $91,240. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for chemists growing?+

BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 6,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Florida?+

25 institutions in Florida reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do chemists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Chemist, Scientist, Research Chemist, Analytical Chemist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-2031.

Programs in FloridaChemistry, General

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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