Organic chemist vs research chemist

The differences between organic chemists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an organic chemist has an average salary of $76,894, which is higher than the $75,843 average annual salary of a research chemist.

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

Organic chemist vs research chemist overview

	Organic Chemist	Research Chemist
Yearly salary	$76,894	$75,843
Hourly rate	$36.97	$36.46
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,680	53,769
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does an organic chemist do?

An organic chemist studies the properties of chemicals with carbon. This type of chemistry is vital for industries concerning products and services related to living organisms, such as plants, animals, and people. Pharmaceuticals, the food industry, and agriculture all require an organic chemist's skill to create and develop products suitable for living organisms. The organic chemist's role is to help in the development phase of a product, determine its effects on biological life, and note all side-effects: many companies, especially those concerned in medicine and food production.

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.

Organic chemist vs research chemist salary

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

	Organic Chemist	Research Chemist
Average salary	$76,894	$75,843
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $116,000	Between $53,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Newark, DE	McLean, VA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Virginia
Best paying company	Entegris	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Energy

Differences between organic chemist and research chemist education

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

	Organic Chemist	Research Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Organic chemist vs research chemist demographics

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

	Organic Chemist	Research Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 19.0% White, 58.5% 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 organic chemist and research chemist duties and responsibilities

Organic chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Ensure compounds are of the highest possible purity using LCMS, NMR spectroscopy, GC, and HPLC.
Perform organic analysis for semi-volatile and acid-base-neutrals using GCMS, HPLC, GCFID, GCNPD, GCECD and IR.
Perform GC analyses for gas, diesel, BTEX and PCB analyses in Washington and remote sites of Alaska.
Facilitate routine analyses in organic analytic chemistry - distillation, extraction, separation, crystallization, and purification.
Utilize 1H-NMR , 13C-NMR, GC/MS, HPLC, MALDI-TOF, ChemDraw, and ChemWindow.

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.

Organic chemist vs research chemist skills

Common organic chemist skills

NMR, 8%
Method Development, 8%
HPLC, 7%
Organic Synthesis, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Sample Preparation, 5%

Common research chemist skills

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

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Organic Chemist vs Research Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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