Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between formulation technicians and chemistry laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a formulation technician and a chemistry laboratory assistant. Additionally, a formulation technician has an average salary of $48,107, which is higher than the $30,971 average annual salary of a chemistry laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a formulation technician include lean manufacturing, FDA and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a chemistry laboratory assistant are lab equipment, lab safety, and chemistry lab.
| Formulation Technician | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $48,107 | $30,971 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $14.89 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 45,585 | 40,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Formulation Technicians are responsible for preparing and testing formulations samples to meet the research and development goals. Their duties include preparing samples for different formulations, undertaking pilot production studies, assessing storage stability, conducting physical property measuring, and performing chemical and physical formulation assessments. They facilitate global sampling, maintain an accurate record of study data, and participate in team meetings. Formulation Technicians also ensure that laboratory resources are up to acceptable standards and work is done to follow best practices, safety standards, and documented procedures.
Chemical Laboratory Assistants are professionals who help researchers and scientists in performing lab experiments and tests. Their tasks involve the maintenance, cleanliness, or sterilization of laboratory equipment or instruments. They perform physical or chemical laboratory tests assisting scientists in the quantitative or qualitative analyses of liquids, gaseous materials, and solids. The necessary skills and knowledge for this job include chemistry, lab reporting, chemical solutions, and safety procedures.
Formulation technicians and chemistry laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Formulation Technician | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $48,107 | $30,971 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $75,000 | Between $16,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Pace University |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Education |
There are a few differences between a formulation technician and a chemistry laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Formulation Technician | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between formulation technicians' and chemistry laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Formulation Technician | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |