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The differences between chemists and laboratory analysts 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 $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.
The top three skills for a chemist include chemistry, lab equipment and test results. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.
| Chemist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $64,961 | $44,024 |
| Hourly rate | $31.23 | $21.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 20,221 | 44,074 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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.
A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.
Chemists and laboratory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average salary | $64,961 | $44,024 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $90,000 | Between $31,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a chemist and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:
| Chemist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between chemists' and laboratory analysts' demographics:
| Chemist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |