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The differences between chemists and staff scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, 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 staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Chemist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,961 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $31.23 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 20,221 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Chemists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $64,961 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $90,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a chemist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Chemist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between chemists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Chemist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |