Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between analytical research chemists and formulation chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an analytical research chemist has an average salary of $81,763, which is higher than the $66,678 average annual salary of a formulation chemist.
The top three skills for an analytical research chemist include liquid chromatography, R and HPLC. The most important skills for a formulation chemist are scale-up, R, and product development.
| Analytical Research Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,763 | $66,678 |
| Hourly rate | $39.31 | $32.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 62,289 | 3,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An Analytical Research Chemist works on analyzing and interpreting data generated from experiments to aid other research. They organize and produce reports and findings, which scientists will use to create principles, ideas, and strategies in the scientific field. Included in a research chemist's primary responsibilities are the maintenance of the laboratory, organizing documents, and inventory of supplies and equipment.
A formulation chemist is responsible for generating new concepts for product development that adhere to quality standards and safety regulations. Formulation chemists identify product opportunities by analyzing the current industry trends, developing cost-reduction initiatives, and determining efficient formulations through in-depth research and laboratory experiments. They write formulation reports and product processing, collaborating with the marketing and sales team for brand promotion and awareness. A formulation chemist must have a critical understanding of scientific methods, including chemical mixing, to achieve desired outputs.
Analytical research chemists and formulation chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Analytical Research Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average salary | $81,763 | $66,678 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $123,000 | Between $46,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Frederick, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an analytical research chemist and a formulation chemist in terms of educational background:
| Analytical Research Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between analytical research chemists' and formulation chemists' demographics:
| Analytical Research Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7% | Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.9% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |