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Chemist vs quality control chemist

The differences between chemists and quality control 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 $58,892 average annual salary of a quality control chemist.

The top three skills for a chemist include chemistry, lab equipment and test results. The most important skills for a quality control chemist are QC, HPLC, and lab equipment.

Chemist vs quality control chemist overview

ChemistQuality Control Chemist
Yearly salary$64,961$58,892
Hourly rate$31.23$28.31
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs20,22190,467
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
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 a quality control chemist do?

A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.

Chemist vs quality control chemist salary

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

ChemistQuality Control Chemist
Average salary$64,961$58,892
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $90,000Between $45,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CityWilmington, DENorth Kingstown, RI
Highest paying stateDelawareVermont
Best paying companyMetaHallstar
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between chemist and quality control chemist education

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

ChemistQuality Control Chemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Chemist vs quality control chemist demographics

Here are the differences between chemists' and quality control chemists' demographics:

ChemistQuality Control Chemist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 59.6% Female, 40.4%Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5%
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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 21.4% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between chemist and quality control 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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Quality control chemist example responsibilities.

  • Manage investigations of out of spec results and complaints in CatsWEB CAPA management system.
  • Verify raw material compliance utilizing ICP, FTIR, and USP wet chemistry methods.
  • Perform analysis utilizing UV/VIS, FTIR, Karl Fischer, and TLC.
  • Perform the potency studies, dissolution, and uniformity, by using HPLC, GC, and UV/VIS.
  • Analyze active ingredients in sunscreens, volatile organics, and preservatives utilizing ICP, GC, NIRS, and HPLC.
  • Execute dissolution and disintegration testing and microbiology testing with compliance requirements within GMP, GLP, and FDA regulatory environments.
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Chemist vs quality control chemist skills

Common chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%
Common quality control chemist skills
  • QC, 9%
  • HPLC, 7%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • GMP, 6%
  • Analytical Methods, 5%
  • UV/Vis, 4%

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