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The differences between chemists and physicists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.
The top three skills for a chemist include chemistry, lab equipment and test results. The most important skills for a physicist are patients, radiology, and oncology.
| Chemist | Physicist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,961 | $110,869 |
| Hourly rate | $31.23 | $53.30 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 20,221 | 803 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
Physicists explain the effect of structures, phenomena, and forces on the natural world. Physicists determine and explore the primary principles governing the behavior and structure of matter. They study energy generation and transfer as well as the interaction between matter and energy. Their job involves the development of theories on the properties of matter, time, space, and energy. The position requires extensive research for technical papers and reports contributing to the industry. Physicians teach and lecture students on the laws associated with physics.
Chemists and physicists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemist | Physicist | |
| Average salary | $64,961 | $110,869 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $90,000 | Between $68,000 And $180,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | Sanford Health |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a chemist and a physicist in terms of educational background:
| Chemist | Physicist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Physics |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between chemists' and physicists' demographics:
| Chemist | Physicist | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| 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, 2.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 24% |