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The differences between laboratory chemists and research technicians 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 $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a laboratory chemist include lab equipment, chromatography and analytical methods. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Laboratory Chemist | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $62,702 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $30.15 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 41,322 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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 research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Laboratory chemists and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Chemist | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $62,702 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $86,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Nutley, NJ | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | BASF | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a laboratory chemist and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Chemist | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between laboratory chemists' and research technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Chemist | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |