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The differences between pharmaceutical scientists and laboratory analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pharmaceutical scientist, becoming a laboratory analyst takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a pharmaceutical scientist has an average salary of $79,535, which is higher than the $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical scientist include dosage forms, pharmaceutical sciences and formulation development. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $79,535 | $44,024 |
| Hourly rate | $38.24 | $21.17 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 45,560 | 44,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Pharmaceutical scientists must have master's degrees or doctorates in pharmacology, chemistry, biology, anatomy, or math. Paid around $86K per year, those who choose this career path perform drug discovery research, development, and testing. They also execute experiments for system-based research projects aimed at introducing new drugs to the marketplace.
A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.
Pharmaceutical scientists and laboratory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average salary | $79,535 | $44,024 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $115,000 | Between $31,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | BASi | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical scientist and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Pharmacy | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical scientists' and laboratory analysts' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Laboratory Analyst | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |