Environmental chemist vs process chemist

The differences between environmental chemists and process chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a process chemist has an average salary of $81,542, 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 process chemist are lab equipment, HPLC, and R.

Environmental chemist vs process chemist overview

	Environmental Chemist	Process Chemist
Yearly salary	$56,956	$81,542
Hourly rate	$27.38	$39.20
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	22,234	29,813
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does an environmental chemist do?

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.

What does a process chemist do?

Process chemists are lab professionals who perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemicals in laboratories for quality control or to develop new products. These chemists are required to develop synthetic plans and run experiments to test their suitability for large-scale use. They must use different analytical methods and modeling software to monitor the reaction processes of chemicals as well as determine how changes in the process affect the final product. Process chemists must also be familiar with regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

Environmental chemist vs process chemist salary

Environmental chemists and process chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Environmental Chemist	Process Chemist
Average salary	$56,956	$81,542
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $84,000	Between $54,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	Wilmington, DE
Highest paying state	Delaware	Delaware
Best paying company	Southern California Edison	Bio-Rad Laboratories
Best paying industry	Internet	Manufacturing

Differences between environmental chemist and process chemist education

There are a few differences between an environmental chemist and a process chemist in terms of educational background:

	Environmental Chemist	Process 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

Environmental chemist vs process chemist demographics

Here are the differences between environmental chemists' and process chemists' demographics:

	Environmental Chemist	Process Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9%	Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7%
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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 20.5% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between environmental chemist and process chemist duties and responsibilities

Environmental chemist example responsibilities.

Manage storage of hazardous waste for compliance with RCRA regulations.
Manage and operate mobile laboratories analyzing a wide range of samples utilizing USEPA SW846 GC/MS and HPLC methods.
Achieve expertise with hydrogenations and catalysts, low temp reactions, TLC, reactions done with UV and infrare lights.
Achieve expertise with organic techniques like steam distillation, recrystallization, vacuum sublimation/distillation.
Administer various laboratory safety audits with regard to OSHA rules and regulations to maintain adherence and manage necessary corrective actions.
Conduct analysis of heavy metals in environmental soil and water samples using ICP-OES and ICP-MS

Process chemist example responsibilities.

Manage synthesis and production of specialty chemicals for carpet and textile industry.
Support new, modify and existing chemical processes by developing and validating HPLC and GC methods with a rapid turnaround time.
Analyze unknown materials with FTIR, Raman, and SEM-EDS.
Display improving working knowledge of business processes as they relate to GMP manufacturing.
Create titration solution and other solutions such as stock solutions used in analysis.
Show a desire to learn about and understand advance chemistry principles underlying project assignments.

Environmental chemist vs process chemist skills

Common environmental chemist skills

Data Validation, 8%
GC, 6%
Ms, 6%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
ICP-MS, 5%
Environmental Samples, 5%

Common process chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 7%
HPLC, 6%
R, 5%
GMP, 5%
NMR, 4%
Sigma, 4%

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Environmental Chemist vs Process Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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