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The differences between food scientists and senior chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior chemist has an average salary of $91,008, which is higher than the $74,345 average annual salary of a food scientist.
The top three skills for a food scientist include product development, project management and food safety. The most important skills for a senior chemist are method development, laboratory equipment, and HPLC.
| Food Scientist | Senior Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,345 | $91,008 |
| Hourly rate | $35.74 | $43.75 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 93,145 | 12,823 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A food scientists' job is primarily to improve food in terms of quality and packaging and create new food products. This job may include ensuring products comply with health and safety standards as well as developing excellent quality food processing, storage, and transportation procedures. They will collaborate with project groups to make new products starting from conceptualization to commercialization. Moreover, they work on the release of potential brands and improve nutritional quality, especially the flavor and texture of food. Also, they assist the company in leading product improvements and innovations.
Senior Chemists are responsible for designing, developing, and testing formulations and compounds. They also maintain and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and relevant documentation.
Food scientists and senior chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Scientist | Senior Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,345 | $91,008 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $121,000 | Between $67,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Napa, CA | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | Ohio | Vermont |
| Best paying company | LexisNexis Reed Tech | |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a food scientist and a senior chemist in terms of educational background:
| Food Scientist | Senior Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Food Science | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between food scientists' and senior chemists' demographics:
| Food Scientist | Senior Chemist | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 11.9% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 22.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 19% | 5% |