Inorganic Chemistry Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Inorganic Chemistry maps to BLS occupations averaging about $108,273, with roughly 493,010 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $9,684; common paths include Biological Scientists, All Other and Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists.
Key Statistics
Inorganic Chemistry: what the data shows
Common questions about inorganic chemistry degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a inorganic chemistry degree?
A Inorganic Chemistry program is classified under NCES CIP 40.0503 in the Chemistry field family (40.05).
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the elements and their compounds, other than the hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Includes instruction in the characterization and synthesis of non-carbon molecules, including their structure and their bonding, conductivity, and reactive properties; research techniques such as spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoelectron analysis; and the study of specific compounds, such as transition metals, and compounds composed of inorganic and organic molecules
Types of inorganic chemistry degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 40.05 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Analytical Chemistry (CIP 40.0502)
- Chemical Physics (CIP 40.0508)
- Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics (CIP 40.0512)
- Chemistry, General (CIP 40.0501)
- Environmental Chemistry (CIP 40.0509)
- Forensic Chemistry (CIP 40.0510)
- Organic Chemistry (CIP 40.0504)
- Physical Chemistry (CIP 40.0506)
- Polymer Chemistry (CIP 40.0507)
- Theoretical Chemistry (CIP 40.0511)
What degree do you need?
For Biological Scientists, All Other (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a inorganic chemistry degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Inorganic Chemistry to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Veterinarians | 80,630 | $125,510 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Respiratory Therapists | 136,420 | $80,450 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 131,320 | $45,980 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a inorganic chemistry degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Chemistry bachelor's program family: median debt $43,802, median earnings $65,120 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.03.
About 4.8% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,684 and median net price is $17,617.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Inorganic Chemistry and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,684 Median In-State Public
$44,000 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Inorganic Chemistry majors are, on average, $9,684 for in-state public colleges, and $44,000 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Inorganic Chemistry programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Inorganic Chemistry from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Inorganic Chemistry.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Inorganic Chemistry programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
| 5 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,146 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Inorganic Chemistry programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 3 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 4 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 5 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,115 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Inorganic Chemistry programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Inorganic Chemistry programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 40.05 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Analytical Chemistry CIP 40.0502
- Chemical Physics CIP 40.0508
- Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics CIP 40.0512
- Chemistry, General CIP 40.0501
- Environmental Chemistry CIP 40.0509
- Forensic Chemistry CIP 40.0510
- Organic Chemistry CIP 40.0504
- Physical Chemistry CIP 40.0506
- Polymer Chemistry CIP 40.0507
- Theoretical Chemistry CIP 40.0511
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $108,273. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Inorganic Chemistry graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $124,288 | 59,710 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Veterinarians | $172,853 | 80,630 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $109,692 | 136,420 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | $58,529 | 131,320 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Chemistry CIP family (32 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Inorganic Chemistry graduate.
- $43,802 median federal loan debt among completers
- $65,120 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.03 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.8% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$108,273 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Inorganic Chemistry majors is $108,273.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Inorganic Chemistry majors.
Occupations by Share
493,010 2023 Workforce
The number of Inorganic Chemistry graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Inorganic Chemistry by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Inorganic Chemistry in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Inorganic Chemistry.
Age distribution for Inorganic Chemistry degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Inorganic Chemistry degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Inorganic Chemistry degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Inorganic Chemistry are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Inorganic Chemistry.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Inorganic Chemistry field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Inorganic Chemistry majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Inorganic Chemistry majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Inorganic Chemistry majors.
About
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the elements and their compounds, other than the hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Includes instruction in the characterization and synthesis of non-carbon molecules, including their structure and their bonding, conductivity, and reactive properties; research techniques such as spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoelectron analysis; and the study of specific compounds, such as transition metals, and compounds composed of inorganic and organic molecules
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Inorganic Chemistry.
CIP Code
40.0503 - Inorganic Chemistry
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $43,802 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $65,120, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.03. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Inorganic Chemistry graduate.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $108,273. The largest mapped role by headcount is Biological Scientists, All Other (59,710 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,684 in-state at public colleges and $44,000 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.