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The differences between medicinal 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 $65,248 average annual salary of a medicinal chemist.
The top three skills for a medicinal chemist include NMR, SAR and HPLC. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Medicinal Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,248 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $31.37 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,662 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A medicinal chemist applies their chemistry training to processing and synthesizing new pharmaceuticals. Their duties include developing new drugs, improving the processes through which pharmaceuticals are made, isolating medicinal agents, creating new synthetic drug compounds, and working with scientists in other disciplines. They are also required to develop products and production processes that are cost effective and environmentally friendly.
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.
Medicinal chemists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medicinal Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $65,248 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $96,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Novartis | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a medicinal chemist and a research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Medicinal Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between medicinal chemists' and research chemists' demographics:
| Medicinal Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 26.8% White, 52.8% 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% |