I work as a Chemist here in Northern California. There are shit tons of laboratory jobs here. The only thing is that the competition for these jobs are pretty cut throat. There are a bunch of fuckers that try to change their majors, like you, except go the pre-med route. They get their Biological Sciences/Biochemistry degrees and figure, "Ahhh... fuck it! I don't feel like going to med school anymore. I'll just see what I can get with this degree I got."

The work pays well depending on which company you work in. The opportunities for advancement are better in R&D rather than Production or Quality. But a good percentage of the time, your peers will know jack shit about what you are suppose to be doing. They are there because their initial choice for a major started looking bad and they decided "I'll become a doctor. Those guys play golf all day and make tons of cash." The initiative was there, but the follow through was lacking.

Added - I just saw this thread:
http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2153553
That is the exact shit I'm talking about.

Added - I just saw this thread:
http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2153553
That is the exact shit I'm talking about.

Don't pay attention to him he is a fucktard.

Wow! This is quite a coinsidence. I followed the exact path you described: I started out as a mechanical engineer major, switched to business to pursue finance, but enjoyed my chemistry class so much I decided to switch over to chemistry.

My advice is if you really enjoy chemistry, do it! Chemistry is a great career field with a growing demand; and from what I've seen, not enough people studying it now to fill that future demand, which = high salaries. Plus chemistry is way more interesting than business, and (in general) more honest work.

Even mcdonalds employs chemists. Seriously. And I don't mean myself, I mean people working in actual labs FOR McDs.

Even mcdonalds employs chemists. Seriously. And I don't mean myself, I mean people working in actual labs FOR McDs.

I've got a friend who works as a chemist at Diageo (who make Smirnoff, Johnny Walker, Guiness, Red Stripe and Don perignon to name a few) - they get something like ~$200/month allowance for products. I think it's discounted close to cost rather than free, but still booze is booze!

I've got a friend who works as a chemist at Diageo (who make Smirnoff, Johnny Walker, Guiness, Red Stripe and Don perignon to name a few) - they get something like ~$200/month allowance for products. I think it's discounted close to cost rather than free, but still booze is booze!

what chemistry did he major in? im heavily considering an organic chemistry degree but i dont know the full options or potential salaries.

what chemistry did he major in? im heavily considering an organic chemistry degree but i dont know the full options or potential salaries.

Your college will typically have different options. Mine, for example, gives a bare chemistry degree, and then you can tack on emphases such as biochem or professional chem (more calculus), or chemical physics.

As a student(ish) i got to work in the chem lab and help out with the other people :) If your usually ask your uni most of them are looking for people to baby sit reaction or the such :) and it pays not to bad and it is loads of fun and helps you get experience. I was lucky enough to have lots of hand on experience so i helped also some of the older students :) Its all good stuff just ask :) As for work :( Well i don't know right now, we shall see what the future holds but maybe in some pharmaceutical research company ;)