21101 Chemists

What this occupation covers

Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes. They are employed in research, development and quality control laboratories; chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries; mineral, metal and pulp and paper industries; and a wide variety of manufacturing, utility, health, educational and government establishments.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 11 main duties for this code.

• Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
• Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
• Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
• Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
• Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
• Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
• Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
• Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
• Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
• May participate in the commercialization of new products
• May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 11 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 20011 Architecture and science managers
• 21320 Chemical engineers
• 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers
• 21109 Other professional occupations in physical sciences
• 21110 Biologists and related scientists

Excluded from this code

• Architecture and science managers (See 20011 Architecture and science managers)
• Chemical engineers (See 21320 Chemical engineers)
• Geochemist (See 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers)
• Materials scientist (See 21109 Other professional occupations in physical sciences)
• Metallurgist (See 21109 Other professional occupations in physical sciences)
• Molecular biologist (See 21110 Biologists and related scientists)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

agricultural chemist · agrochemist · analytical biochemist · analytical chemist · atmospheric chemist · bioanalytical chemist · biochemist · biochemistry research scientist · biological chemist · chemical spectroscopist · chemist · chemist - biomolecular assembly · chemistry research scientist · chemistry researcher · clinical chemist · coatings chemist · control chemist · dairy chemist · detergent chemist · dye chemist · electrochemist · environmental chemist · enzyme chemist · fermentologist

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a related discipline is required.
• A master's or doctoral degree is usually required for employment as a research chemist.
• Licensing by a provincial association of chemists is required in Quebec and available but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.