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Chemist vs analytical chemist

The differences between chemists and analytical 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 $61,573 average annual salary of an analytical chemist.

The top three skills for a chemist include chemistry, lab equipment and test results. The most important skills for an analytical chemist are method development, HPLC, and laboratory equipment.

Chemist vs analytical chemist overview

ChemistAnalytical Chemist
Yearly salary$64,961$61,573
Hourly rate$31.23$29.60
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs20,22114,661
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

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.

What does an analytical chemist do?

An Analytical Chemist uses a wide range of methods to investigate the chemical nature of substances. They analyze samples using different software, techniques, and equipment, and then interpret and report the results.

Chemist vs analytical chemist salary

Chemists and analytical chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

ChemistAnalytical Chemist
Average salary$64,961$61,573
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $90,000Between $44,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CityWilmington, DEMilford, MA
Highest paying stateDelawareDelaware
Best paying companyMetaMicron Technology
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between chemist and analytical chemist education

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

ChemistAnalytical Chemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Chemist vs analytical chemist demographics

Here are the differences between chemists' and analytical chemists' demographics:

ChemistAnalytical Chemist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 59.6% Female, 40.4%Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 19.2% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between chemist and analytical chemist duties and responsibilities

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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Analytical chemist example responsibilities.

  • Perform analysis of organic components on various samples using GC, AA, and wet chemical analysis.
  • Apply ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and AA to analyses of aqueous and acidic extracts of many geological materials.
  • Analyze generic pharmaceutical preparations utilizing HPLC and dissolution apparatus to ensure content and uniformity in accordance with FDA and USP monographs.
  • Develop novel FT-IR, UV/VIS stopped-flow kinetic methods.
  • Conduct UV/VIS and wet analyses of consumer product samples submit.
  • Develop ELISA and WB assays for host cell proteins and vaccine components.
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Chemist vs analytical chemist skills

Common chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%
Common analytical chemist skills
  • Method Development, 9%
  • HPLC, 8%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 8%
  • GMP, 4%
  • GC, 4%
  • Ms, 4%

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