Industrial Chemicals Workers

Employers

Industrial chemicals workers play a key role in chemical manufacturing whether the industry is producing basic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paints, food, or a myriad of other products. The companies vary in size, depending on the nature of the products they produce. Some large industrial chemicals companies (DuPont and Dow Chemical Company, for example) may make the chemicals they use in their own operations. Others purchase what they need from specialty chemical companies, such as Avantor.

Basic chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide and nitric acid, are usually made by giant companies while small companies may make fine or specialty chemicals to supply to other manufacturers. Some of the duties are involved in the actual production process; others concern the equipment used in manufacturing; still others test finished products to ensure that they meet industry and government standards of purity and safety. There are a number of government laboratories, such as those operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, that employ chemical workers.

Starting Out

High school graduates qualify for entry-level factory jobs as helpers, laborers, and material movers. They learn how to handle chemicals safely and acquire skills that enable them to advance to higher levels of responsibility. Students interested in a job in the industrial chemicals industry should look for information on job openings through classified ads and employment agencies. Information can also be obtained by contacting the personnel offices of individual chemical plants and local union offices of the International Chemical Workers Union and the United Steelworkers of America). High school and college guidance and job placement offices are other knowledgeable sources.