Junior chemist vs research chemist

The differences between junior chemists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research chemist has an average salary of $75,843, which is higher than the $64,002 average annual salary of a junior chemist.

The top three skills for a junior chemist include lab equipment, R and HPLC. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.

Junior chemist vs research chemist overview

	Junior Chemist	Research Chemist
Yearly salary	$64,002	$75,843
Hourly rate	$30.77	$36.46
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	13,461	53,769
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a junior chemist do?

A Junior Chemist prepares test solutions, compounds, and reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct the test. They work under the supervision of a senior chemist.

What does a research chemist do?

A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.

Junior chemist vs research chemist salary

Junior chemists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Junior Chemist	Research Chemist
Average salary	$64,002	$75,843
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $110,000	Between $53,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	East Windsor, NJ	McLean, VA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Virginia
Best paying company	APTIM	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Energy

Differences between junior chemist and research chemist education

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

	Junior Chemist	Research Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Junior chemist vs research chemist demographics

Here are the differences between junior chemists' and research chemists' demographics:

	Junior Chemist	Research Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 19.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between junior chemist and research chemist duties and responsibilities

Junior chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Process laboratory data to ensure efficiency of plant operations and troubleshoot unexpect conditions to prevent an upset within the plant.
Solve the quality issues with Zithromax SDD extrusion during a systems audit of the start up process, in Vega Baja.
Provide general support to the custom mixing and extrusion departments in day-to-day operations.

Research chemist example responsibilities.

Manage the CDS and LIMS systems for the institute.
Manage and record experimental data with lab management software (LIMS).
Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
Characterize the particles using SEM, DSC, IR, and UV-Vis.
Identify sample structure using microscopy, crystallography, NMR, UV/VIS, GC and AAS.
Develop GC & FTIR instrumental methods of analysis to support quality of incoming raw materials to ensure quality of finish products.

Junior chemist vs research chemist skills

Common junior chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 17%
R, 8%
HPLC, 6%
PH Meter, 5%
QC, 5%
Analytical Instruments, 5%

Common research chemist skills

Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Method Development, 10%
R, 9%
HPLC, 5%
Analytical Chemistry, 5%
Polymer, 5%

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Junior Chemist vs Research Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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