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The differences between analytical chemists and quality assurance chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an analytical chemist has an average salary of $61,573, which is higher than the $59,242 average annual salary of a quality assurance chemist.
The top three skills for an analytical chemist include method development, HPLC and laboratory equipment. The most important skills for a quality assurance chemist are lab equipment, R, and HPLC.
| Analytical Chemist | Quality Assurance Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,573 | $59,242 |
| Hourly rate | $29.60 | $28.48 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 14,661 | 66,457 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An Analytical Chemist uses a wide range of methods to investigate the chemical nature of substances. They analyze samples using different software, techniques, and equipment, and then interpret and report the results.
Quality Assurance Chemists generally offer pay of around $54K per year and require strong skills in analysis and instrumentation and general knowledge of chemistry, attention to detail, and various organizational skills. Also, they must be able to investigate and analyze problems whenever they crop up. This career choice requires a bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, depending on the industry, and will often be offered in pharmaceutical fields, where standard duties consist of the measurement and testing of lab materials and products according to industry standards.
Analytical chemists and quality assurance chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Analytical Chemist | Quality Assurance Chemist | |
| Average salary | $61,573 | $59,242 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $84,000 | Between $42,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milford, MA | East Windsor, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Clariant |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an analytical chemist and a quality assurance chemist in terms of educational background:
| Analytical Chemist | Quality Assurance Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between analytical chemists' and quality assurance chemists' demographics:
| Analytical Chemist | Quality Assurance Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 19.2% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |