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Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry

A program that focuses on the application of chemistry to the study of biologically and clinically active substances, biological and pharmacological interactions, and the development of associated research methods, techniques, and clinical trial procedures. Includes instruction in organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular graphics, rational drug design, toxicology, molecular biology, pharmacology, enzyme mechanisms, receptor theory, neurochemistry, drug metabolism, drug synthesis, biological mechanisms of drug action, research tools and techniques, and laboratory safety. Examples: [Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (MS)], [Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (PhD)]

Types of Degrees Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	13
Master’s Degree	74
Doctor’s Degree	98

What Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Majors Need to Know

Programs in Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates include:

• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Neurosurgery Professor
• Infant Care Teacher
• Corrective Therapy Aide Teacher
• Chiropractic Teacher
• Veterinary Science Teacher
• Teacher

What Can You Do With a Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	8.9%	$111,314	$90,148–$132,479

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	33.8%
Doctoral degree	25.9%
Post-doctoral training	21.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
Some college courses	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.9% women and 41.1% men among Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	109	58.9%
Men	76	41.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	80	43.2%
Asian	17	9.2%
Hispanic or Latino	13	7.0%
Black or African American	2	1.1%
Two or More Races	4	2.2%
Race Unknown	4	2.2%
International Students	65	35.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$100,486
4 years	$129,383
5 years	$140,029

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $140,029 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry graduates earn a median of $129,383 four years after completion — roughly 240% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration	18,055
Pharmacy	12,167
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other	1,079
Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences	1,000
Pharmaceutics and Drug Design	603
Clinical and Industrial Drug Development	244
Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy	181
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics	150
Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Policy and Regulatory Affairs	150
Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management	84
Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy	20
Pharmaceutical Sciences	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.