I understand it goes from I to V, is II the highest you can get without a graduate degree?
In what organization?
Are there not universal rules that you can’t go above a certain level w/o a graduate degree or does it vary based on what field of chemistry, what branch of employer (academia, pharmaceuticals, government, etc) and independent employer you have?
If it varies based on these factors then I guess the question is kindof moot.
It is based entirely on what organization you are with. There’s no governing body that sets levels like with some fields. Larger companies tend to have stricter classifications of positions. Most of the time your degree determines what position you start in, while your performance and aptitude (and who you become friends with) determine how far you go.
I sometimes play a level 12 Biochemist with a +3 Test-tube, but that’s just for fun.
It’s well worth the level reduction (-2) to replace that +3 Test-tube with a Kugelrohr. You lose some mobility too, but that’s more than made up for by the 11X distillation enhancement.
I don’t understand what these levels are that you speak of. Where did you hear about them? I don’t know of any universal classification for chemistry jobs (and I’m in chem grad school, so one might hope that I would have heard of such a thing.)
I like using the 600 MHz NMR of Detection. Sure, mobility is bad, but it allows you to identify just about anything.
Seriously, I have no idea what the OP is talking about. Are you asking about what advancement is possible in industry without an advanced degree?
Generally speaking, companies have pay grades for their employees. Mine, f’rinstance, has QC Chemist I-IV. Any of my B.S. Chemists can rise to the highest level. I only have a bachelor’s degree myself, as does my Director. QC and QA are highly experience-dependent fields, though. Research chemists tend to have master’s degrees or doctorates at entry level, and B.S.'s get hired as techs. The techs might get promoted as they gain experience, or might get capped at some level – it depends on the rigidity of the organization.
There is no universal scheme, but there are human resources materials available – surveys of compensation standards, etc. – that list such categories, and many companies that use these materials also use their pay grades.
Personally, I lean towards the HPLC of purification. That puppy can purify anything! Again, you’re stuck with poor mobility though.
For mobility, who can resist the portable pipet aid?
And on a serious note…
In the academic world, at least at my institution, one can be hired as a tech with no formal education. This is rare, mind you, but not unprecedented. How far you would rise as a tech would depend on your skills and abilities, but you would almost certainly rise slower than someone with a degree. You would more than likely never rise to a position higher than a tech, however.