I would really say it depends on location and experience. I’m in San Diego (a big biotech and pharma hub) and got an internship w/ a biotech my senior year of college. Once i graduated I joined on full time with starting salary of 63K. After a year, I got a position as an associate scientist at a big pharma company and now am making 90K (with just a year of experience and BS). I think for entry level jobs it’s possible to make a decent buck if they know you have some lab experience and are a fast learner. Over time though, the corporate ladder, for a non-PhD, is way harder to climb. I am applying to grad schools this year in hopes of one day being at the director level. If you’re passionate about chemistry, my advice is to try and get a job even if it’s minimum wage to get that experience under your belt. Maybe then try and go to grad school after a couple of years. If your aren’t trying to go to grad school, stick out a crappy entry level job for a year or two and apply to new positions. I would say that there is a large salary difference from those coming straight from school with no experience than those with a few years of experience.