Bench chemist vs laboratory chemist

The differences between bench chemists and laboratory chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a laboratory chemist has an average salary of $62,702, which is higher than the $57,401 average annual salary of a bench chemist.

The top three skills for a bench chemist include analytical methods, HPLC and wet chemistry. The most important skills for a laboratory chemist are lab equipment, chromatography, and analytical methods.

Bench chemist vs laboratory chemist overview

	Bench Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Yearly salary	$57,401	$62,702
Hourly rate	$27.60	$30.15
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,038	41,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Bench chemist vs laboratory chemist salary

Bench chemists and laboratory chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bench Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average salary	$57,401	$62,702
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $84,000	Between $45,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	Nutley, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	BASF
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between bench chemist and laboratory chemist education

There are a few differences between a bench chemist and a laboratory chemist in terms of educational background:

	Bench Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	University of Southern California

Bench chemist vs laboratory chemist demographics

Here are the differences between bench chemists' and laboratory chemists' demographics:

	Bench Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%	Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between bench chemist and laboratory chemist duties and responsibilities

Bench chemist example responsibilities.

Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
Prepare ASTM samples and test physical properties.
Perform USP testing on a wide variety of pharmaceuticals to guarantee product quality.
Analyze intermediates and products through analytical data such as LCMS, NMR, etc.
Maintain detailed notebooks containing results and transmit those results via LIMS to the proper plant personnel.
Perform final release testing on batch samples to establish conformance to company, third party, or FDA specifications.

Laboratory chemist example responsibilities.

Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
Perform testing on BioGlue components, titration - uv-vis - gel electrophoresis, and FTIR examination of incoming raw materials.
Develop and execute HPLC, UV and dissolution test methods for non-routine raw materials and finish products.
Conduct raw material analyses, perform tests using FTIR and GC instrumentation, develop policies and procedures, conduct trouble shooting.
Include GPC, GC-MS, FTIR, NMR and others
Participate in all kind of audit like ISO 17025, ISO 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Bench chemist vs laboratory chemist skills

Common bench chemist skills

Analytical Methods, 12%
HPLC, 10%
Wet Chemistry, 10%
Method Development, 9%
GC, 8%
GMP, 8%

Common laboratory chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 8%
Chromatography, 5%
Analytical Methods, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 4%
Wet Chemistry, 4%

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Bench Chemist vs Laboratory Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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