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Field chemist vs chemist

The differences between field chemists and 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 $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.

The top three skills for a field chemist include CDL, non-hazardous waste and customer sites. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.

Field chemist vs chemist overview

Field ChemistChemist
Yearly salary$66,162$64,961
Hourly rate$31.81$31.23
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs51,92220,221
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4242
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 a chemist do?

Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.

Field chemist vs chemist salary

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

Field ChemistChemist
Average salary$66,162$64,961
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $101,000Between $46,000 And $90,000
Highest paying City-Wilmington, DE
Highest paying state-Delaware
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between field chemist and chemist education

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

Field ChemistChemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of Southern California

Field chemist vs chemist demographics

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

Field ChemistChemist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 82.6% Female, 17.4%Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between field chemist and 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.
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Chemist example responsibilities.

  • Lead QA, engineering, and operations training events.
  • Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
  • Perform analysis of drug substance and drug product using HPLC, GC, dissolution and UV/VIS.
  • Utilize IR, AA, UV, HPLC and other chemical analysis equipment to assess product quality.
  • Prepare solutions to run on HPLC, ICP and AA instruments.
  • Involve in operation and preventative maintenance of LC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC instrumentation.
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Field chemist vs 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 chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%

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