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The differences between organic chemists and research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $76,894 average annual salary of an organic chemist.
The top three skills for an organic chemist include NMR, method development and HPLC. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Organic Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $76,894 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $36.97 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 2,680 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Organic chemists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Organic Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $76,894 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $116,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, DE | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between an organic chemist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Organic Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between organic chemists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Organic Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |