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The differences between environmental chemists and organic chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an organic chemist has an average salary of $76,894, 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 an organic chemist are NMR, method development, and HPLC.
| Environmental Chemist | Organic Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,956 | $76,894 |
| Hourly rate | $27.38 | $36.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 22,234 | 2,680 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
An organic chemist studies the properties of chemicals with carbon. This type of chemistry is vital for industries concerning products and services related to living organisms, such as plants, animals, and people. Pharmaceuticals, the food industry, and agriculture all require an organic chemist's skill to create and develop products suitable for living organisms. The organic chemist's role is to help in the development phase of a product, determine its effects on biological life, and note all side-effects: many companies, especially those concerned in medicine and food production.
Environmental chemists and organic chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Chemist | Organic Chemist | |
| Average salary | $56,956 | $76,894 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $84,000 | Between $50,000 And $116,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Southern California Edison | Entegris |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an environmental chemist and an organic chemist in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Chemist | Organic Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between environmental chemists' and organic chemists' demographics:
| Environmental Chemist | Organic Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |