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The differences between formulation chemists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a formulation chemist has an average salary of $66,678, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.
The top three skills for a formulation chemist include scale-up, R and product development. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Formulation Chemist | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,678 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $32.06 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,011 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A formulation chemist is responsible for generating new concepts for product development that adhere to quality standards and safety regulations. Formulation chemists identify product opportunities by analyzing the current industry trends, developing cost-reduction initiatives, and determining efficient formulations through in-depth research and laboratory experiments. They write formulation reports and product processing, collaborating with the marketing and sales team for brand promotion and awareness. A formulation chemist must have a critical understanding of scientific methods, including chemical mixing, to achieve desired outputs.
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.
Formulation chemists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Formulation Chemist | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $66,678 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $94,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Frederick, MD | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a formulation chemist and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Formulation Chemist | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between formulation chemists' and chemists' demographics:
| Formulation Chemist | Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.6% White, 59.3% 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 Percentage | 5% | 5% |