Field chemist vs associate chemist

The differences between field chemists and associate chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a field chemist has an average salary of $66,162, which is higher than the $61,544 average annual salary of an associate chemist.

The top three skills for a field chemist include CDL, non-hazardous waste and customer sites. The most important skills for an associate chemist are lab equipment, HPLC, and method development.

Field chemist vs associate chemist overview

	Field Chemist	Associate Chemist
Yearly salary	$66,162	$61,544
Hourly rate	$31.81	$29.59
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	51,922	7,387
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a field chemist do?

Field chemists are scientists responsible for researching reactions that occur between different substances and creating procedures for safe handling of those substances by individuals, businesses, or factories. They are involved in gathering research data, implementing regulatory standards for hazardous substances, and assisting with the clean-up process for incidents such as spills. The data gathered is used to help develop new products for use in hazardous waste management, medicine, manufacturing, and other industries.

What does an associate chemist do?

An Associate Chemist performs and analyzes chemical tests and procedures. They maintain the stock of drugs and ensure that they are stored in a secure place.

Field chemist vs associate chemist salary

Field chemists and associate chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Field Chemist	Associate Chemist
Average salary	$66,162	$61,544
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $101,000	Between $39,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	-	Worcester, MA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	Alere
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between field chemist and associate chemist education

There are a few differences between a field chemist and an associate chemist in terms of educational background:

	Field Chemist	Associate Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	University of Southern California

Field chemist vs associate chemist demographics

Here are the differences between field chemists' and associate chemists' demographics:

	Field Chemist	Associate Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%	Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between field chemist and associate chemist duties and responsibilities

Field chemist example responsibilities.

Manage and audit projects to ensure compliance of state, federal and OSHA regulations.
Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Utilize analytic testing on new compounds using the following techniques: GC-MS, HPLC and ICP.
Test products for QC using standard procedures.
Analyze air samples by HPLC following EPA methods.

Associate chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Utilize GC, UV/vis, FT-IR, pH meter, and titration
Assay ointments and liquids per company test methods and USP procedures.
Utilize and maintain, TLC, GC, IR, UV/VIS Spectro-photometer and Karl Fischer
Utilize GC, UV and FTIR spectroscopy for products identification of reaction of o-cresol with nitric acid.
Operate and maintain analytical instruments such as FTIR, DSC and TGA.

Field chemist vs associate chemist skills

Common field chemist skills

CDL, 39%
Non-Hazardous Waste, 7%
Customer Sites, 7%
Household Hazardous Waste, 6%
OSHA, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%

Common associate chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 9%
HPLC, 8%
Method Development, 6%
Ms, 4%
Product Development, 4%
Analytical Methods, 4%

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Field Chemist vs Associate Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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