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The differences between organic chemists and senior scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, 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 senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Organic Chemist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $76,894 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $36.97 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 2,680 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Organic chemists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Organic Chemist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $76,894 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $116,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, DE | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an organic chemist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Organic Chemist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between organic chemists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Organic Chemist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |