Chief chemist vs senior chemist

The differences between chief chemists and senior chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior chemist has an average salary of $91,008, which is higher than the $82,641 average annual salary of a chief chemist.

The top three skills for a chief chemist include laboratory equipment, R and analytical techniques. The most important skills for a senior chemist are method development, laboratory equipment, and HPLC.

Chief chemist vs senior chemist overview

	Chief Chemist	Senior Chemist
Yearly salary	$82,641	$91,008
Hourly rate	$39.73	$43.75
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	15,406	12,823
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Chief chemist vs senior chemist salary

Chief chemists and senior chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Chemist	Senior Chemist
Average salary	$82,641	$91,008
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $125,000	Between $67,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Vermont
Best paying company	Freeport-McMoRan	Google
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between chief chemist and senior chemist education

There are a few differences between a chief chemist and a senior chemist in terms of educational background:

	Chief Chemist	Senior Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chief chemist vs senior chemist demographics

Here are the differences between chief chemists' and senior chemists' demographics:

	Chief Chemist	Senior Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 22.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between chief chemist and senior chemist duties and responsibilities

Chief chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve ASTM certification for analysis of copper in CCRC labs.
Manage an analytical laboratory, which include SEM-EDS, GC-MS, GPC, FT-IR, ICP-MS, TGA and DSC equipment.
Perform set-up stage for CCLAS LIMS system.
Train QC chemists on test procedures for new products.
Maintain QC books, prepare quality control specimens and calibrators.
Input of data into the LIMS and some data interpretation require.

Senior chemist example responsibilities.

Manage an analytical laboratory, which include SEM-EDS, GC-MS, GPC, FT-IR, ICP-MS, TGA and DSC equipment.
Conduct GC-MS, TGA, and FTIR, UV/Vis spectroscopic analysis of extractables and elemental impurities.
Develop Simethicone assay method by FT-IR in liquid dosage.
Used EPA methods for actinide, technetium, strontium, and tritium determination.
Prepare submission documentation, including CMC sections, for IDE and PMA submissions.
Supervise mobile lab team of analysts at various EPA super fund site locations for PCB and halo-hydrocarbons analysis testing.

Chief chemist vs senior chemist skills

Common chief chemist skills

Laboratory Equipment, 24%
R, 12%
Analytical Techniques, 7%
Product Development, 6%
DOT, 5%
Lims, 4%

Common senior chemist skills

Method Development, 8%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
HPLC, 5%
Analytical Methods, 5%
R, 4%
GMP, 4%

Chief Chemist vs. similar jobs

Chief Chemist related careers

Chief Chemist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Chief Chemist
Chief Chemist vs Senior Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs