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Chemist assistant vs chemist

The differences between chemist assistants and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemist has an average salary of $64,961, which is higher than the $51,817 average annual salary of a chemist assistant.

The top three skills for a chemist assistant include laboratory instruments, product quality and chemical analysis. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.

Chemist assistant vs chemist overview

Chemist AssistantChemist
Yearly salary$51,817$64,961
Hourly rate$24.91$31.23
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs6,14420,221
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a chemist assistant do?

Chemist assistants maintain laboratory readiness in supporting the production and contingency operations for instrument maintenance and personnel training. The assistants manage daily laboratory operations such as conducting and recording instrument maintenance. They develop minimum product property tolerances and production standards. It is their job to monitor the quality of products to ensure standard compliance. Also, they support capacity expansion projects, product quality projects, and process improvement initiatives.

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.

Chemist assistant vs chemist salary

Chemist assistants and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chemist AssistantChemist
Average salary$51,817$64,961
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $87,000Between $46,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City-Wilmington, DE
Highest paying state-Delaware
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between chemist assistant and chemist education

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

Chemist AssistantChemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Chemist assistant vs chemist demographics

Here are the differences between chemist assistants' and chemists' demographics:

Chemist AssistantChemist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 56.3% Female, 43.7%Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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 Percentage5%5%

Differences between chemist assistant and chemist duties and responsibilities

Chemist assistant example responsibilities.

  • Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
  • Take initiative to be cross-train in chemistry methods used by the company to perform additional tests that ensure uninterrupt laboratory operation.
  • Conduct enzyme assays and performance testing with different enzymes in liquid and powder detergent formulations.

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.
  • Show more

Chemist assistant vs chemist skills

Common chemist assistant skills
  • Laboratory Instruments, 27%
  • Product Quality, 13%
  • Chemical Analysis, 6%
  • HPLC, 5%
  • Analytical Instrumentation, 4%
  • Lab Equipment, 4%
Common chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%

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