Will AI replace chemists?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 11m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The breakdown: 2h 7m that AI mostly does alone, 1h 4m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 4h 49m (60%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 12 tasks, about 2h 7m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques. (1h 38m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Confer with scientists or engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests. (29m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 1h 4m of a typical shift. 3 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Conduct quality control tests. (1h 4m a shift; e.g. Robotic TAN/TBN titration system (Universal Robots cobot + Metrohm OMNIS Sample Robot, integrated by KA Industrial Engineering), sold commercially)

4h 49m of a typical shift, or 60%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods. (1h 15m a shift)
• Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests. (58m a shift)
• Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions. (35m a shift)
• Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis. (29m a shift)
• Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed. (29m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 74% talk face to face with others every day
• 69% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 60% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 1h 19m for a person alone and about 13m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques (about 1h 19m alone, 13m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 5,900 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $91,240 a year ($43.87 an hour), 79% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $58,460 and $160,830 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 90,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 5,900 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 83,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.05% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 302nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 90,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 56% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Science, Mathematics, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 49m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: R, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, C
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Materials Scientists (1h 34m touched, $118k median pay)
• Biochemists and Biophysicists (43m touched, $127k median pay)
• Materials Engineers (0m touched, $113k median pay)
• Chemical Engineers (0m touched, $125k median pay)
• Microbiologists (1h 10m touched, $88k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 1 with robots sold or demonstrated, 9 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.