Chemical research worker vs chemical technician

The differences between chemical research workers and chemical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a chemical research worker and a chemical technician. Additionally, a chemical research worker has an average salary of $61,345, which is higher than the $42,584 average annual salary of a chemical technician.

The top three skills for a chemical research worker include elisa, R and GIS. The most important skills for a chemical technician are lab equipment, safety procedures, and hazardous materials.

Chemical research worker vs chemical technician overview

	Chemical Research Worker	Chemical Technician
Yearly salary	$61,345	$42,584
Hourly rate	$29.49	$20.47
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	66,892	40,191
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Chemical research worker vs chemical technician salary

Chemical research workers and chemical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemical Research Worker	Chemical Technician
Average salary	$61,345	$42,584
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $91,000	Between $30,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Austin, TX	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	West Virginia	Maryland
Best paying company	VMware	Calpine
Best paying industry	Education	Pharmaceutical

Differences between chemical research worker and chemical technician education

There are a few differences between a chemical research worker and a chemical technician in terms of educational background:

	Chemical Research Worker	Chemical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	Stanford University	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Chemical research worker vs chemical technician demographics

Here are the differences between chemical research workers' and chemical technicians' demographics:

	Chemical Research Worker	Chemical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0%	Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 9.5% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between chemical research worker and chemical technician duties and responsibilities

Chemical research worker example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of HPLC method development and analysis through interpretation of data ensuring accuracy of results.
Experience in NMR, GC-MS, LC-MS, FT-IR, AAS, ICPMS instruments.
Perform RNA analysis for well-known mouse virus.
Conduct genotyping experiments on known DNA segments.
Complete AFM, TEM and UV-vis spectroscopy to analyze these nanocomposites.
Work frequently performing cell culture, HPLC, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry

Chemical technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily production schedule, monitor machine operation, addressed any etching machinery problems.
Used the FTIR to determine the consistency of the BPA.
Sample preparation for ICP, ICPMS, FLAA, and IC.
Metal analysis through ICP OES testing.
Perform GC/MS analyses using sw846, EPA and CLP methodologies.
Maintain, organize, and update MSDS database for entire company.

Chemical research worker vs chemical technician skills

Common chemical research worker skills

Elisa, 24%
R, 18%
GIS, 9%
Chemistry, 8%
Database Systems, 6%
RT-PCR, 5%

Common chemical technician skills

Lab Equipment, 10%
Safety Procedures, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Math, 5%
Troubleshoot, 3%

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Chemical Research Worker
Chemical Research Worker vs Chemical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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