Chemical and Material Sciences

Selected skill: SCO08.01 · Parent category: Chemical and Material Sciences and its Applications · 2025 · partial year · 2026 figures have not been published yet.

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Skill demand · ONS UK online job adverts

How common is chemical and material sciences?

This requirement appears in 0.5% of UK new online job adverts in 2025. Its share was broadly unchanged compared with 2024.

The latest year is partial. Comparisons with full years need care. 2026 figures have not been published yet.
Share of new adverts0.5%UK · 2025
Change in share0.0 pp2024 to 2025
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What this skill category covers

Official detailed requirements in this ONS group

Chemical Compounds and Specialty Reagents

Handle chemical compounds and specialty reagents to support industrial processes, laboratory testing, and product development.

0.1% of UK new adverts

Electron Microscopy and Imaging Techniques

Perform electron microscopy and imaging techniques to analyse material structures at high resolution.

0.1% of UK new adverts

Distillation Processes

Separating components of mixtures using heat and condensation techniques.

0.1% of UK new adverts

Spectroscopy and Analytical Techniques

Perform spectroscopic analysis and apply advanced analytical techniques to identify material properties and chemical compositions.

0.1% of UK new adverts

Polymer Chemistry and Materials

Develop polymer materials such as polyester and polybutylene terephthalate for industrial use.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Thermodynamics and Heat Systems

Apply thermodynamic principles and manage systems under standard conditions.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Chemical Compounds and Reactions

Handle chemicals such as ammonia and acids for industrial and laboratory processes.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Autoclave Operation Skills

Ability to operate autoclaves for sterilization in medical or industrial settings.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Organic and Chemical Synthesis

Perform chemical synthesis and organic compound development for scientific applications.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Techniques

Perform thermal analysis and calorimetry techniques to evaluate material properties and energy efficiency.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Analytical Chemistry and Particle Characterization

Apply analytical chemistry techniques and particle characterization methods including wet chemistry, volatile compound analysis, and sample inspection to ensure accurate material evaluation and quality control.

0.0% of UK new adverts

Electrochemical Engineering

Applying chemical and electrical principles in industrial processes.

0.0% of UK new adverts

ONS Table 1 detailed requirements · SCO08.01. Shares can overlap because an advert may mention several requirements.

Occupations where chemical and material sciences appears most often in UK new adverts

#OccupationShare of occupation advertsView
1IT quality and testing professionals

Example titles: Quality analyst · Test lead · IT auditor · Qa engineer

30.5%
2Chemical scientists

Example titles: Scientist · Section head · Chief analyst · Chief chemist

21.6%
3Other researchers, unspecified discipline

Example titles: Researcher · Research fellow · Research officer · Research assistant

21.5%
4Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.

Example titles: Sports scientist · Technical officer · Consumer scientist · Research assistant

17.7%
5Laboratory technicians

Example titles: Laboratory technician · Seed analyst · Water tester · Lab assistant

11.9%
6Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers

Example titles: Refrigeration engineer · Service engineer · Refrigerator maker · Refrigeration mechanic

10.1%
7Plastics process operatives

Example titles: Plastic mixer · Die man · Mill man · Dry mixer

9.7%
8Quality control and planning engineers

Example titles: Quality control engineer · QC analyst · Mine planner · Group planner

9.4%
9Biochemists and biomedical scientists

Example titles: Biomedical scientist · Dna analyst · Research worker · Forensic chemist

8.8%
10Biological scientists

Example titles: Scientist · Soil chemist · Field officer · Plant breeder

8.1%

ONS Table 4 · 2025 (partial year). Share is the proportion of new adverts in that occupation that report this skill group. Example titles come from the SOC 2020 coding index. 2026 figures have not been published yet.

Skills within Chemical and Material Sciences and its Applications

#SkillShare of advertsChange (pp)View
1Chemistry and Applied Sciences

Chemistry Disciplines · Agrochemical and Petrochemical Product Knowledge · Fragrance and Sensory Analysis Techniques

0.9%0.0 pp
2Chemical and Material Sciences

Selected skill · Chemical Compounds and Specialty Reagents · Electron Microscopy and Imaging Techniques · Distillation Processes

0.5%0.0 pp
3Manufacturing and Materials Engineering

Industrial Coatings and Surface Treatment Processes · Aluminium Material Application Skills · Ceramic and Porcelain Manufacturing

0.5%0.0 pp
4Manufacturing and Metallurgical Engineering

Metal Heat Treatment Technique Skills · Steelmaking Process Technology Skills

0.0%0.0 pp
5Healthcare and Materials Science

Biocompatibility Testing Skills

0.0%0.0 pp

ONS UK new adverts · 2025 (partial year). Change compared with 2024, in percentage points. These skills share a classification group. They are not necessarily requested together. 2026 figures have not been published yet.

About these figures

How to interpret skill demand

Source: Office for National Statistics, UK online job adverts. Shares describe new adverts reporting the requirement. An advert may mention several skills, so their shares do not add up to 100%. A rise from 10% to 12% is an increase of 2 percentage points.

These figures do not establish a salary premium, proficiency level, or which skills are requested together. This page has no published skill-specific salary or location breakdown.

ONS · 2025 · partial year · 2026 figures have not been published yet. · Open Government Licence v3.0. ONS does not endorse Jobmundo.