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The differences between analytical research chemists and process 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 $81,542 average annual salary of a process chemist.
The top three skills for an analytical research chemist include liquid chromatography, R and HPLC. The most important skills for a process chemist are lab equipment, HPLC, and R.
| Analytical Research Chemist | Process Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,763 | $81,542 |
| Hourly rate | $39.31 | $39.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 62,289 | 29,813 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
Process chemists are lab professionals who perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemicals in laboratories for quality control or to develop new products. These chemists are required to develop synthetic plans and run experiments to test their suitability for large-scale use. They must use different analytical methods and modeling software to monitor the reaction processes of chemicals as well as determine how changes in the process affect the final product. Process chemists must also be familiar with regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
Analytical research chemists and process chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Analytical Research Chemist | Process Chemist | |
| Average salary | $81,763 | $81,542 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $123,000 | Between $54,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Meta | Bio-Rad Laboratories |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an analytical research chemist and a process chemist in terms of educational background:
| Analytical Research Chemist | Process Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 process chemists' demographics:
| Analytical Research Chemist | Process Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7% | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 20.5% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |