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The differences between laboratory chemists and quality control chemists 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 $58,892 average annual salary of a quality control chemist.
The top three skills for a laboratory chemist include lab equipment, chromatography and analytical methods. The most important skills for a quality control chemist are QC, HPLC, and lab equipment.
| Laboratory Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,702 | $58,892 |
| Hourly rate | $30.15 | $28.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 41,322 | 90,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.
Laboratory chemists and quality control chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Average salary | $62,702 | $58,892 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $86,000 | Between $45,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Nutley, NJ | North Kingstown, RI |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Vermont |
| Best paying company | BASF | Hallstar |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a laboratory chemist and a quality control chemist in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between laboratory chemists' and quality control chemists' demographics:
| Laboratory Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 21.4% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |