Science needs people with enquiring minds like you Gardeningmad.
I am a senior professor of Biochemistry at a leading research university. In my time in science, I have acquired Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees in Biology, Chemistry and believe it or not, Biochemistry.
Although a fair amount of my time nowadays is spent in administration of the department, I make sure I still find time every week to both lecture and research. The research part is something we all have to do nowadays. I write the odd academic paper as well.
During my career, I've lectured and been a visiting professor in the UK and abroad. Not that long ago, I worked at a couple of ivy-league universities in the USA. I've also lectured at a Hawaiian University for a while, which felt more like a holiday than work!
I do some advisory/research work for the government and I've also appeared on TV. Although this may seem glamorous, the truth is that I'm really prone to what I can only call "stage-fright" and I often wish I was somewhere else!
The money's not that bad now that I've gone this far up the ladder, but it's been worth it despite the hard slog. I think I'd leave the job tomorrow if I felt I was doing it for the prestige.
Chemistry has an influence on many things we do nowadays and you can't go far in making it your chosen field of study.