Contract chemist vs laboratory chemist

The differences between contract chemists and laboratory chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contract chemist has an average salary of $67,064, which is higher than the $62,702 average annual salary of a laboratory chemist.

The top three skills for a contract chemist include laboratory equipment, method development and R. The most important skills for a laboratory chemist are lab equipment, chromatography, and analytical methods.

Contract chemist vs laboratory chemist overview

	Contract Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Yearly salary	$67,064	$62,702
Hourly rate	$32.24	$30.15
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	11,286	41,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Contract chemist vs laboratory chemist salary

Contract chemists and laboratory chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contract Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average salary	$67,064	$62,702
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $45,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	Nutley, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	BASF
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between contract chemist and laboratory chemist education

There are a few differences between a contract chemist and a laboratory chemist in terms of educational background:

	Contract Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Contract chemist vs laboratory chemist demographics

Here are the differences between contract chemists' and laboratory chemists' demographics:

	Contract Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3%	Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between contract chemist and laboratory chemist duties and responsibilities

Contract chemist example responsibilities.

Lead QA, engineering, and operations training events.
Develop HPLC methods for the analysis of drugs and relate substances in a GMP environment.
Analyze polymer materials using ASTM methods.
Review routine and validation projects under GMP guidelines.
Blend specialty carrier gases, complete GMP and safety checklists.
Log in samples into LIMS and generate reports for customers.

Laboratory chemist example responsibilities.

Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
Perform testing on BioGlue components, titration - uv-vis - gel electrophoresis, and FTIR examination of incoming raw materials.
Develop and execute HPLC, UV and dissolution test methods for non-routine raw materials and finish products.
Conduct raw material analyses, perform tests using FTIR and GC instrumentation, develop policies and procedures, conduct trouble shooting.
Include GPC, GC-MS, FTIR, NMR and others
Participate in all kind of audit like ISO 17025, ISO 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Contract chemist vs laboratory chemist skills

Common contract chemist skills

Laboratory Equipment, 17%
Method Development, 13%
R, 10%
Analytical Data, 7%
HPLC, 7%
Ms, 4%

Common laboratory chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 8%
Chromatography, 5%
Analytical Methods, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 4%
Wet Chemistry, 4%

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Contract Chemist
Contract Chemist vs Laboratory Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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