Chemist lead vs field chemist

The differences between chemist leads and field chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemist lead has an average salary of $83,663, which is higher than the $66,162 average annual salary of a field chemist.

The top three skills for a chemist lead include laboratory instruments, analytical methods and R. The most important skills for a field chemist are CDL, non-hazardous waste, and customer sites.

Chemist lead vs field chemist overview

	Chemist Lead	Field Chemist
Yearly salary	$83,663	$66,162
Hourly rate	$40.22	$31.81
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,860	51,922
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a chemist lead do?

A Chemist Lead is responsible for conducting qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses and experiments. They generally work in laboratories.

What does a field chemist do?

Field chemists are scientists responsible for researching reactions that occur between different substances and creating procedures for safe handling of those substances by individuals, businesses, or factories. They are involved in gathering research data, implementing regulatory standards for hazardous substances, and assisting with the clean-up process for incidents such as spills. The data gathered is used to help develop new products for use in hazardous waste management, medicine, manufacturing, and other industries.

Chemist lead vs field chemist salary

Chemist leads and field chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemist Lead	Field Chemist
Average salary	$83,663	$66,162
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $117,000	Between $43,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	Pleasanton, CA	-
Highest paying state	Delaware	-
Best paying company	Momentive	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between chemist lead and field chemist education

There are a few differences between a chemist lead and a field chemist in terms of educational background:

	Chemist Lead	Field Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of California, Berkeley

Chemist lead vs field chemist demographics

Here are the differences between chemist leads' and field chemists' demographics:

	Chemist Lead	Field Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8%	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between chemist lead and field chemist duties and responsibilities

Chemist lead example responsibilities.

Manage an analytical laboratory, which include SEM-EDS, GC-MS, GPC, FT-IR, ICP-MS, TGA and DSC equipment.
Ensure FDA and ISO certification due to attention to detail.
Prepare testing protocols for raw materials, finish products, and APIs utilizing classical wet chemistry and HPLC techniques.
Use LIMS system to input data.
Learned how to troubleshoot/maintain ICP-MS instruments.
Evaluate and propose changes to existing USP test methodologies.

Field chemist example responsibilities.

Manage and audit projects to ensure compliance of state, federal and OSHA regulations.
Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Utilize analytic testing on new compounds using the following techniques: GC-MS, HPLC and ICP.
Test products for QC using standard procedures.
Analyze air samples by HPLC following EPA methods.

Chemist lead vs field chemist skills

Common chemist lead skills

Laboratory Instruments, 13%
Analytical Methods, 7%
R, 6%
Method Development, 5%
Lab Equipment, 5%
HPLC, 4%

Common field chemist skills

CDL, 39%
Non-Hazardous Waste, 7%
Customer Sites, 7%
Household Hazardous Waste, 6%
OSHA, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%

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Chemist Lead vs Field Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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