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The differences between analytical scientists and laboratory analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an analytical scientist, becoming a laboratory analyst takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an analytical scientist has an average salary of $90,807, which is higher than the $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.
The top three skills for an analytical scientist include HPLC, GMP and analytical chemistry. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.
| Analytical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $90,807 | $44,024 |
| Hourly rate | $43.66 | $21.17 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 52,832 | 44,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The duties of an analytical scientist depend on their place or industry of employment. An analytical scientist specializes in conducting tests and experiments using different analytical techniques to identify or develop chemical compositions. Their tasks typically revolve around maintaining extensive documentation of all procedures, reviewing and interpreting results, and summarizing them for reports and other documentation. Moreover, an analytical scientist may coordinate with other scientists on projects, prepare presentations for different audiences, and even train junior scientists.
A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.
Analytical scientists and laboratory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Analytical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average salary | $90,807 | $44,024 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $125,000 | Between $31,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an analytical scientist and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:
| Analytical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between analytical scientists' and laboratory analysts' demographics:
| Analytical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |