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The differences between chemist leads and formulation 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 $66,678 average annual salary of a formulation chemist.
The top three skills for a chemist lead include laboratory instruments, analytical methods and R. The most important skills for a formulation chemist are scale-up, R, and product development.
| Chemist Lead | Formulation Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $83,663 | $66,678 |
| Hourly rate | $40.22 | $32.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,860 | 3,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Chemist Lead is responsible for conducting qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses and experiments. They generally work in laboratories.
A formulation chemist is responsible for generating new concepts for product development that adhere to quality standards and safety regulations. Formulation chemists identify product opportunities by analyzing the current industry trends, developing cost-reduction initiatives, and determining efficient formulations through in-depth research and laboratory experiments. They write formulation reports and product processing, collaborating with the marketing and sales team for brand promotion and awareness. A formulation chemist must have a critical understanding of scientific methods, including chemical mixing, to achieve desired outputs.
Chemist leads and formulation chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemist Lead | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average salary | $83,663 | $66,678 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $117,000 | Between $46,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | Frederick, MD |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Momentive | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a chemist lead and a formulation chemist in terms of educational background:
| Chemist Lead | Formulation Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between chemist leads' and formulation chemists' demographics:
| Chemist Lead | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8% | Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4% |
| 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |