Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Daily Pump Trap: 2/14/12 edition

Good morning! Between February 9 and February 13, there were 46 new positions posted. Of these, 31 (67%) are academically connected. 

Milwaukee, WI: Sigma-Aldrich desires a Ph.D. chemist for an analytical R&D position.

Interesting: Stone Environmental, Inc. is a water testing company. They're looking for a B.S. chemist to be a, well, check it out:
The Analytical Chemist/Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) Operator works with all aspects of established analytical chemistry methods and testing procedures that are associated with our MIP program. The MIP technique is a direct sensing tool that is used to assess levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the subsurface. It combines the use of direct push environmental drilling with up-hole analytical chemistry procedures. Primary analytical methods are gas chromatography (GC); however, experience with GC/mass spectrometry is a plus. Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills are required for this position. Technical and analytical leadership is expected from this position, as well as familiarity and fluency with advanced scientific concepts within the particular discipline. Record keeping, data management, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation as well as competent technical writing skills are required. 
The position involves periods of extended travel for field work in New England, throughout the United States and several international locations. As much as 50 to 75% of the work may be located outside of Vermont. 
It sounds like you'll be a traveling analytical chemist. Sounds interesting.

Newark, DE: Air Liquide is searching for a B.S./M.S. analytical chemist for its new R&D center. Description: "Develop solutions for analysis of critical impurities in pure gases and major and minor components in process gas stream in collaboration with Air Liquide operational units." Sounds important. Pay is a little wanting?

Kalamazoo, MI: Kalsec is searching (once again) for a Ph.D. chemist with expertise in natural products extraction chemistry. "Advanced hop products" sounds like an interesting area of research.

Columbus, OH: Chemical Abstracts Service is searching for people to fill CAS databases. B.S./M.S. chemists with strong "Biochemistry, Inorganic, Organic, Organometallic, Polymer, Applied or Physical chemistry emphasis." 49k-58k? Oh, dear. 

8 comments:

  1. "Pay is a little wanting"... "49-58? Oh dear"

    Not sure what you're getting at. If you're wondering why so low, that's the reality for BS/MS chemists. Sure, it surprised me when I first entered the work force, but after seeing how BS/MS chemists are treated and compensated, not much surprises me anymore.

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    1. Yeah, you're probably right. I guess it depends on what they're looking for in qualifications.

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    2. I live in Canada, have a MS and I only get 46k offers.

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    3. I graduated with a PhD in 2008. I am still making well under $49k, and I live somewhere a lot less affordable than Columbus, OH. I remain in close contact with a dozen or so colleagues that graduated with me, and as far as I know, none of them are making more than $50k a year either. I realize that isn't a substantial sample size, but it seems odd that everyone I know is a significant outlier. I believe the ACS salary survey is a bunch of baloney, and would love to see the [sanitized] raw data. It doesn't inspire confidence when CAS (a division of the ACS) offers significantly less than what they claim (in their own survey!) their membership is earning.

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  2. CJ, the cost of living in the Midwest is much less than on the coasts. I have relatives in Columbus who have a home and can raise a family on 50K. Their not swimming in cash, but they aren't living check to check either.

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    1. FWIW, I agree that the cost of living is lower. However, you still have to pay national prices for certain items, right? (e.g. plane tickets home, etc.)

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    2. According to Wikipedia, median household income is 38k and median family income is 47k.

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    3. When I moved from a rust belt city to one of the most expensive cities in the US, the things I noticed the most:
      - Rent doubled. (literally 2x as much, for a smaller place)
      - Fees and costs associated with owning an automobile went way up
      - Mechanic labor rate here is $90/h, labor rate there was $60/h
      - Parking, insurance, tickets, registration, fuel all got more expensive
      - Eating out. We don't do it anymore.
      - Entertainment (plays, musicals, movies, etc) is ridiculously expensive now. Thank god Netflix is nationally priced.

      I keep track of how I spend my money. Over the past 2 years, rent, food & dining, and transportation (sans travel) accounts for 75% of what I earn. I'd take a significant pay cut to live in an affordable city.

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looks like Blogger doesn't work with anonymous comments from Chrome browsers at the moment - works in Microsoft Edge, or from Chrome with a Blogger account - sorry! CJ 3/21/20