Biochemist vs research chemist

The differences between biochemists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research chemist has an average salary of $75,843, which is higher than the $72,910 average annual salary of a biochemist.

The top three skills for a biochemist include chemistry, immunoassay and elisa. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.

Biochemist vs research chemist overview

	Biochemist	Research Chemist
Yearly salary	$72,910	$75,843
Hourly rate	$35.05	$36.46
Growth rate	15%	6%
Number of jobs	16,016	53,769
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	40	42
Years of experience	6	-

What does a biochemist do?

A biochemist is responsible for researching biological processes and the components of organisms to diagnose possible diseases and develop medication solutions for various illnesses and genetic disorders. Biochemists also contribute resources for environmental sustainability that would help the agricultural industry prevent afflictions. They conduct an in-depth analysis of complex projects and manage laboratory investigations while following strict protocols and safety regulations. A biochemist organizes research papers and present studies to other scientists and medical professionals for recommendations or possible further experiments.

What does a research chemist do?

A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.

Biochemist vs research chemist salary

Biochemists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Biochemist	Research Chemist
Average salary	$72,910	$75,843
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $110,000	Between $53,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	McLean, VA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Virginia
Best paying company	Genentech	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Health Care	Energy

Differences between biochemist and research chemist education

There are a few differences between a biochemist and a research chemist in terms of educational background:

	Biochemist	Research Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Biochemist vs research chemist demographics

Here are the differences between biochemists' and research chemists' demographics:

	Biochemist	Research Chemist
Average age	40	42
Gender ratio	Male, 54.0% Female, 46.0%	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 17.3% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	5%

Differences between biochemist and research chemist duties and responsibilities

Biochemist example responsibilities.

Manage laboratories and perform clinical research in diabetic and thyroid disease states.
Design fit-for-purpose assays to track various peptide biomarkers in support of clinical studies.
Determine serotype of putative viral infections in clinical samples utilizing RNA extraction and RT-PCR sequencing techniques.
Provide early involvement and target support for clinical identification of biomarkers involving gene expression profiling, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry.
Compile and process data in LIMs or other validate spreadsheets.
Perform patient sample correlations, interference, ANOVA and stability testing.

Research chemist example responsibilities.

Manage the CDS and LIMS systems for the institute.
Manage and record experimental data with lab management software (LIMS).
Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
Characterize the particles using SEM, DSC, IR, and UV-Vis.
Identify sample structure using microscopy, crystallography, NMR, UV/VIS, GC and AAS.
Develop GC & FTIR instrumental methods of analysis to support quality of incoming raw materials to ensure quality of finish products.

Biochemist vs research chemist skills

Common biochemist skills

Chemistry, 17%
Immunoassay, 9%
Elisa, 7%
GMP, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
Test Results, 5%

Common research chemist skills

Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Method Development, 10%
R, 9%
HPLC, 5%
Analytical Chemistry, 5%
Polymer, 5%

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Biochemist vs Research Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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