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The differences between chemistry laboratory technicians and 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 $40,072 average annual salary of a chemistry laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a chemistry laboratory technician include lab equipment, test results and laboratory tests. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Chemistry Laboratory Technician | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,072 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $19.27 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 43,043 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A chemical laboratory technician is an individual who works in a designated laboratory to conduct analytical or lab-based tests on a variety of chemicals, materials, or products. Chemical laboratory technicians receive and test samples for quality assurance, safety inspection, or environmental impact. Under the supervision of chemists and other team members, they perform lab activities such as setting up lab equipment and preparing chemical solutions. Chemistry laboratory technicians can work in different industries such as pharmaceutical, mining, food, and environmental organizations.
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.
Chemistry laboratory technicians and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemistry Laboratory Technician | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $40,072 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $49,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Zoetis | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a chemistry laboratory technician and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Chemistry Laboratory Technician | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between chemistry laboratory technicians' and chemists' demographics:
| Chemistry Laboratory Technician | Chemist | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 9.2% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |