Careers in Neurochemistry
Explore the different careers in neurochemistry. Read below and find out the education and training requirements, needed licenses and certification, job facts and salary information.
Careers in Neurochemistry: Salary and Job Facts
Neurochemistry is the study of the chemicals generated by the nervous system, combining the study of both neuroscience and chemistry, and looks at how these chemicals affect our brain and the entire nervous system. Although neurochemists are not always doctors by profession, they are still regarded as part of the medical field in terms of medical research in neuroscience and chemistry. In the table below, you can see several different careers in neurochemistry, the education required, training and certification requirements, and salary information.
<table border="1"><tr><th></th><th>Medical Scientists</th><th>Natural Science Managers</th><th>Postsecondary Teachers</th></tr>
<tr><td>Degree Required</td><td>Doctoral or professional degree</td><td>Bachelor's degree</td><td>Doctoral degree</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>Education Field of Study </td><td>Biology, life science, medicine </td><td> Sciences, engineering </td><td> Sciences</td></tr>
<tr><td>Training Required</td><td>Residency training and postdoctoral work</td><td>None</td><td>None</td></tr>
<tr><td>License and/or Certification</td><td>Medical license sometimes required</td><td> None</td><td>None</td></tr>
<tr><td>Key Responsibilities</td><td>Conduct research and develop programs focusing on neurochemistry</td><td>Supervise a team of scientists in research and development</td><td>Teach students about the subject matter and conduct research as well</td></tr>
<tr><td>Job Growth (2020-2030)</td><td>17%*</td><td>6%*</td><td>12% (all postsecondary teachers)*</td></tr>
<tr><td>Annual Median Salary (2020)</td><td>$137,940*</td><td>$123,860*</td><td>$80,560 (all postsecondary teachers)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreTheEducationRequirements">What Are The Education Requirements?</h3><p>For medical scientists, undergraduate students can enroll in dual programs that would pair a Ph.D. with a specialized medical degree. There are graduate programs available focused on both laboratory work and research that would train the students to develop their original experiments as well as supervising undergraduates. A bachelor's degree is sufficient for natural science managers, but they can also acquire business management courses in a graduate program such as an MBA. Postsecondary teachers, commonly known as professors, usually need to have a doctoral degree, although a master's degree is acceptable for some schools.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatKindOfTrainingIsRequired">What Kind of Training is Required?</h3><p>Medical scientists get training through postdoctoral research work where they work with experienced medical scientists in learning more about their specialty and having the chance to publish their original research findings. With enough experience in the field, scientists advance their careers as natural science managers. All they have to do is gain more knowledge on the business side, such as project management and communications. For postsecondary teachers, teaching experience and published research may be required by some universities, and in medical sciences, work experience in the field is often necessary.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatLicensesAndOrCertificationsDoINeed">What Licenses and/or Certifications Do I Need?</h3><p>There are generally no licenses or certifications required for medical scientists since they typically do research and laboratory work. Some positions or types of work may require a medical license, however. There are also no specific licenses and certifications required for natural science managers, but they have the option to get certifications in project management or their area of study. Postsecondary teachers in this field typically don't need licensing or certification.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreTheKeyResponsibilities">What Are The Key Responsibilities?</h3><p>Medical scientists might explore ways to improve overall health and conduct research on certain aspects of the field, in this case, neurochemistry, as well as gather and analyze data in clinical trials and publish research findings. Natural science managers start off as scientists, so they do research and data analysis. However, natural science managers also handle administrative duties and communicate with top executives on their research projects. Postsecondary teachers educate students on their preferred field of study. They also conduct scientific research and publish their research through research papers or books.
</p><h3 id="section---WhereCanIWorkAndHowMuchAreTheSalaries">Where Can I Work and How Much Are The Salaries?</h3><p>Medical scientists and natural science managers usually work in private clinical and research laboratories, hospitals, government colleges, and universities; according to the BLS in 2020, they earn an annual median salary of $137,940 and $123,860, respectively. Postsecondary teachers can work full-time or part-time in private and public colleges and universities and earn a median salary of $80,560 annually, said the BLS in 2020.</p>