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The differences between environmental chemists and laboratory chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a laboratory chemist has an average salary of $62,702, which is higher than the $56,956 average annual salary of an environmental chemist.
The top three skills for an environmental chemist include data validation, GC and ms. The most important skills for a laboratory chemist are lab equipment, chromatography, and analytical methods.
| Environmental Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,956 | $62,702 |
| Hourly rate | $27.38 | $30.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 22,234 | 41,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Environmental chemists are chemistry experts who conduct research or experiments about the effects of chemicals on the environment and human activities. These chemists are required to monitor the source and extent of pollution and contamination, especially the compounds that can affect human health. They are involved in the analytical testing of new products developed in the lab while ensuring the safety of their workplace by issuing safety guidelines. Environmental chemists are also required to express ideas effectively to a non-scientific audience.
Laboratory Chemists are licensed scientists who work with chemicals. They are usually found in academic institutions or research facilities. Laboratory Chemists create experiments based on the needs of the institution or company. They mix different chemicals to make the desired results. They would also analyze compounds borne out of the different mixtures and record their observations. They tabulate the results and present these to the body. Laboratory Chemists should have good organization skills. They should be able to document their experiments properly. This would help the company and future researchers.
Environmental chemists and laboratory chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Average salary | $56,956 | $62,702 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $84,000 | Between $45,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Nutley, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Southern California Edison | BASF |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an environmental chemist and a laboratory chemist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between environmental chemists' and laboratory chemists' demographics:
| Environmental Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.3% 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% |