Chemists: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)
Chemists is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 2113) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.
- Chemist
Pay in the UK for this job
UK occupation used: Chemical scientists (SOC 2020 code 2111). Placeivo matched this to ISCO-08 2113 by job title and duties; the UK and international occupation lists do not line up exactly. National figure for the whole United Kingdom, in pounds sterling (GBP), before income tax and National Insurance.
Small sample: the ONS quality measure (coefficient of variation) is annual figure 11%. ONS advises using estimates like this with caution.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional, Table 14 (occupation by 4-digit SOC 2020): tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross) and 14.1a (weekly pay, gross), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom. Weekly pay is for April 2025; annual pay is for the tax year ending 5 April 2025, employees in the same job for at least a year. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
UK Skilled Worker visa for this job
This occupation (UK code 2111, Chemical scientists) is on the UK list of jobs eligible for the Skilled Worker visa. The job usually has to pay the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation. GOV.UK says the lower going rate applies if you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa in certain occupations, or got the certificate of sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024 and have held one ever since. Going rates are for a 37.5-hour week and are pro-rated for other hours. Placeivo matched this UK code to ISCO-08 2113 by job title; the lists do not line up exactly.
This is a summary of official rules, not legal advice. Rules change and some people (for example those already on a Skilled Worker visa) have different rules. Always check GOV.UK before you apply.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK tables "Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes" and "Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes", updated 2025-07-22, retrieved 2026-10-15. General minimum salary from GOV.UK "Skilled Worker visa: Your job", checked 2026-10-15.
Compare UK visa going rates by job · Eligible occupations (GOV.UK) · Going rates (GOV.UK) · Salary rules (GOV.UK)
Latest chemists job ads
Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).
Germany
268 open ads- Chemist
German title: Chemiker
MetaSystems Probes GmbH · Altlußheim · Posted 2026-10-07 - Chemist
German title: Chemiker
ABX advanced biochemical compounds · Radeberg, Sachsen · Posted 2026-10-07 - Chemist
German title: Chemiker
ANECO Institut für Umweltschutz GmbH & Co. · Mönchengladbach · Posted 2026-10-06 - Chemist
German title: Chemiker
ANECO Institut für Umweltschutz GmbH & Co. · Mönchengladbach · Posted 2026-10-06 - Chemist
German title: Chemiker
Ministerium für Ländlichen Raum, Landwirtschaft und Heimat Land BW · Karlsruhe, Baden · Posted 2026-10-02 - Chemist
German title: Chemiker / Chemikerin
Institut für Analytik und Umweltchemie GmbH · Neuhaus am Rennweg · Posted 2026-08-27
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany
Sweden
24 open ads- Postdoc in heterogeneous catalysis
Swedish title: Postdoktor inom heterogen katalys
Linköpings Universitet · Norrköping · Posted 2026-10-16 - Research Infrastructure Specialist to X-ray Laboratory
Swedish title: Forskningsinfrastrukturspecialist till röntgenlaboratoriet
Uppsala Universitet · Uppsala · Posted 2026-10-16 - Researcher in membrane protein biochemistry
Swedish title: Forskare i membranproteinbiokemi
Stockholms Universitet · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-14 - Investigator with chemical competence
Swedish title: Utredare med kemikompetens
Kemikalieinspektionen · Sundbyberg · Posted 2026-10-12 - Project Assistant at Computational Chemistry
Swedish title: Projektassistent vid Beräkningskemi
Lunds Universitet · Lund · Posted 2026-10-12 - Postdoc in Environmental Chemistry (2 years)
Swedish title: Postdoktor i miljökemi (2 år)
Umeå Universitet · Umeå · Posted 2026-10-06
Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden
Where chemists are needed in Europe
| Country | EURES 2025 | Average gross pay, all professionals (2022) | 1-bed rent in the capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Shortage | €1,367 a month | Sofia: €650 |
| Ireland | Shortage | €5,669 a month | Dublin: €2,000 |
| Italy | Shortage | €3,172 a month * | Rome: €1,300 |
| Slovenia | Shortage | €2,727 a month | Ljubljana: €950 |
| Sweden | Shortage | €4,330 a month * | Stockholm: €2,100 |
| Austria | Surplus | €4,602 a month * | Vienna: €1,250 |
| Czechia | Surplus | €2,276 a month | Prague: €1,250 |
| Finland | Surplus | €4,673 a month * | Helsinki: €1,150 |
| Germany | Surplus | €5,270 a month | Berlin: €1,350 |
| Greece | Surplus | €1,904 a month * | Athens: €1,150 |
| Latvia | Surplus | €2,136 a month | Riga: €870 |
Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all professionals in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for chemists alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.
What chemists do
Chemists conduct research, improve or develop concepts, theories and operational methods, or apply scientific knowledge relating to chemistry, to develop new knowledge or products and for quality and process control.
Typical tasks
- Conducting research and improving or developing concepts, instruments, theories and operational methods related to chemistry
- Conducting experiments, tests and analyses to investigate chemical composition and energy and chemical changes in various natural or synthetic substances, materials and products
- Developing procedures for environmental control, quality control and various other procedures for manufacturers or users
- Conducting programmes of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
- Participating in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
- Using micro-organisms to convert substances into new compounds
- Determining ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials
- Reproducing and synthesizing naturally occurring substances and creating new artificial substances
- Preparing scientific papers and reports
Finding chemists jobs in Europe
- EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Chemist".
- Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
- If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.
Cost of living where the jobs are
Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:
About this data
- Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
- Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
- Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group. United Kingdom, closest UK occupation: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (median pay of full-time employees).
- Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.