Is $17-$18 an Hour Enough for a Chemistry Graduate with Research Experience?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the appropriateness of a salary request of $17-$18 an hour for a recent Chemistry graduate with research experience, particularly in the context of applying for Chem I/Lab Tech positions. It explores various factors influencing salary expectations, including location, competition, and the nature of the job.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about whether $17-$18 an hour is too much for their qualifications and experience.
  • Another participant suggests that the salary request might be too high, emphasizing the importance of various factors such as skill level, job responsibilities, and regional market conditions.
  • A third participant hopes that an annual salary of $34-36K is not considered excessive, indicating a lack of concrete data to support this view.
  • Advice is given to avoid discussing salary until an offer is made, recommending responses like "negotiable" when asked about salary expectations.
  • One participant mentions the importance of researching market salaries through websites like Glassdoor or Salary.com, suggesting that the requested salary might be on the lower end for a Chem I position.
  • A humorous comment references an exaggerated salary figure, indicating a light-hearted tone in part of the discussion.
  • Another participant reminds that taxes should also be considered when evaluating salary offers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the salary request is appropriate, with multiple competing views and uncertainties expressed regarding the factors influencing salary expectations.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks specific data or benchmarks for salary expectations in the chemistry field, and participants acknowledge the variability based on numerous factors.

thewall12
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I'm graduating with a BSc in Chemistry and I've got a couple years academic research experience but no industrial. I'm applying for a lot of Chem I/Lab Tech jobs and I'm planning on requesting between $17 and $18 an hour. Is this too much/too little?
 
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Probably too much. Depends on how good you are, where you are applying, what you'll be doing, where the area is, the type of company, the type of competition... etc etc etc.
 
I have no actual facts, but I really hope that $34-36K per year isn't considered too much.
 
Don't mention anything about salary until they give you an offer with a number. If they ask how much you want, say "negotiable" or "I would consider any serious offer that you make." Also, go to a site like glassdoor.com or salary.com and look at what salaries the market offers for those types of position. For a chemist I position, sounds like what you're asking might be at the lower end of the range. But as zhermes said, there are a lot of factors to consider.
 
As quoted by Dr. Evil.. A million dollars
 
and remember, you also need to consider taxes.
 

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