Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between development scientists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a development scientist has an average salary of $92,514, which is higher than the $75,843 average annual salary of a research chemist.
The top three skills for a development scientist include chemistry, data analysis and GMP. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Development Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $92,514 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $44.48 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 92,039 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Companies with a manufacturing arm usually employ Development Scientists. They are responsible for studying the company's processes and products and conducting research on improving these. They work on new strategies to make production and manufacturing more efficient. They also conduct feasibility studies to ensure that the strategies they come up with are effective and analyze the results of such studies. They then present these findings to their colleagues and develop implementation strategies for smoother streamlining of new processes.
A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.
Development scientists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Development Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $92,514 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $124,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Amazon | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a development scientist and a research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Development Scientist | Research 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 |
Here are the differences between development scientists' and research chemists' demographics:
| Development Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |