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The differences between laboratory chemists and chemistry laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a laboratory chemist has an average salary of $62,702, which is higher than the $30,971 average annual salary of a chemistry laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a laboratory chemist include lab equipment, chromatography and analytical methods. The most important skills for a chemistry laboratory assistant are lab equipment, lab safety, and chemistry lab.
| Laboratory Chemist | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $62,702 | $30,971 |
| Hourly rate | $30.15 | $14.89 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 41,322 | 40,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Laboratory Chemists are licensed scientists who work with chemicals. They are usually found in academic institutions or research facilities. Laboratory Chemists create experiments based on the needs of the institution or company. They mix different chemicals to make the desired results. They would also analyze compounds borne out of the different mixtures and record their observations. They tabulate the results and present these to the body. Laboratory Chemists should have good organization skills. They should be able to document their experiments properly. This would help the company and future researchers.
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.
Laboratory chemists and chemistry laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Chemist | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $62,702 | $30,971 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $86,000 | Between $16,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Nutley, NJ | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | BASF | Pace University |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Education |
There are a few differences between a laboratory chemist and a chemistry laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Chemist | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between laboratory chemists' and chemistry laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Chemist | Chemistry Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 5% | 9% |