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Assay development scientist vs chemist

The differences between assay development scientists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assay development scientist has an average salary of $75,782, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.

The top three skills for an assay development scientist include assay development, cell-based assays and data analysis. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.

Assay development scientist vs chemist overview

Assay Development ScientistChemist
Yearly salary$75,782$64,961
Hourly rate$36.43$31.23
Growth rate17%6%
Number of jobs95,38120,221
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4142
Years of experience4-

What does an assay development scientist do?

Assay development scientists are biochemical experts who develop procedures that test or measure the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism. These scientists are required to provide technical support to develop new assays as well as assist in the transfer of assay to clinical laboratories internationally. They must collaborate with laboratory scientists and managers to optimize laboratory processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Assay development scientists must also produce and submit reports about the development of assays to the research & development (R&D;) managers as well as project managers.

What does a chemist do?

Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.

Assay development scientist vs chemist salary

Assay development scientists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assay Development ScientistChemist
Average salary$75,782$64,961
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $113,000Between $46,000 And $90,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWilmington, DE
Highest paying stateAlaskaDelaware
Best paying companyGenentechMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between assay development scientist and chemist education

There are a few differences between an assay development scientist and a chemist in terms of educational background:

Assay Development ScientistChemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Assay development scientist vs chemist demographics

Here are the differences between assay development scientists' and chemists' demographics:

Assay Development ScientistChemist
Average age4142
Gender ratioMale, 52.1% Female, 47.9%Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 29.0% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%5%

Differences between assay development scientist and chemist duties and responsibilities

Assay development scientist example responsibilities.

  • Manage a group of three laboratory technicians performing ELISA assays and protein purification.
  • Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
  • Co-Direct implementation of immunoassay analysis software interface into LIMS.
  • Perform total RNA and specific RNA extraction of samples.
  • Involve in DNA extraction, library prep, bio-analysing and sequencing runs.
  • Develop residual host cell DNA assays in drug substance and in-process samples using real time PCR.
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Chemist example responsibilities.

  • Lead QA, engineering, and operations training events.
  • Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
  • Perform analysis of drug substance and drug product using HPLC, GC, dissolution and UV/VIS.
  • Utilize IR, AA, UV, HPLC and other chemical analysis equipment to assess product quality.
  • Prepare solutions to run on HPLC, ICP and AA instruments.
  • Involve in operation and preventative maintenance of LC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC instrumentation.
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Assay development scientist vs chemist skills

Common assay development scientist skills
  • Assay Development, 10%
  • Cell-Based Assays, 10%
  • Data Analysis, 8%
  • Next-Generation Sequencing, 7%
  • Molecular Biology, 6%
  • Elisa, 5%
Common chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%

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