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The differences between cosmetic chemists and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $59,876 average annual salary of a cosmetic chemist.
The top three skills for a cosmetic chemist include R, GMP and QC. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Cosmetic Chemist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,876 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $28.79 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 7,556 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A cosmetic chemist specializes in formulating and developing skincare and cosmetic products such as make-up, lotion, soap, and shampoo. They typically work at laboratories where they work on different chemicals and substances, conduct studies and experiments, perform extensive research and analysis, develop and implement tests and assessments, and maintain records of all procedures. Moreover, a cosmetic chemist must maintain an active communication line with staff while adhering to the safety protocols and standards of a laboratory, especially when handling different chemicals.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Cosmetic chemists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cosmetic Chemist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $59,876 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $83,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Skillman, NJ | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | BASF | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cosmetic chemist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Cosmetic Chemist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between cosmetic chemists' and scientists' demographics:
| Cosmetic Chemist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.4% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |