A large proportion of graduates goes directly into industry - to pharmaceuticals companies, the oil industry, to manufacturers of paints, cleaning agents, plastics or fertiliser, or to producers of cosmetics or food additives. Like Anke Richter*, who holds a degree and a PhD in chemistry: "What persuaded me were the opportunities for development, the responsibility, and not least the salary", says the laboratory manager. It's true that researchers and developers in industry generally earn more than their colleagues at research institutes. While career starters in the chemical industry can expect salaries of around 52,200 euros a year, at research institutes they earn a mere 38,450 euros. According to salary consultants PersonalMarkt, the average entry-level salary is approximately 43,700 euros a year.
Industry beckons with high salaries
That so many young scientists head into industry is due not only to the salaries, but also to rocky qualification paths, uncertain career prospects and the often short-term contracts in public research institutions. Only a handful manage to gain one of the few professorships or rise to the top at an extra-mural research institution; the others remain research assistants for too long, stuck on short-term contracts they constantly worry may not be renewed, and with comparatively low salaries. A move to industry almost always has a positive effect on salary.
A post-graduate degree is mandatory
Particularly in the research departments where the majority of graduates starts out, a PhD is considered indispensable. And most chemists do indeed have a post-graduate degree. A doctorate may cost time and nerves - but it also holds clear financial advantages. Chemists with no PhD earn approximately 57,000 euros a year, while those with a PhD make an average of 63,000 euros.
