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The differences between pharmaceutical scientists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pharmaceutical scientist has an average salary of $79,535, which is higher than the $75,843 average annual salary of a research chemist.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical scientist include dosage forms, pharmaceutical sciences and formulation development. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $79,535 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $38.24 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 45,560 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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 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.
Pharmaceutical scientists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $79,535 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $115,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | BASi | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Energy |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical scientist and a research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Pharmacy | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical scientists' and research chemists' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| 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, 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 | 8% | 5% |