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The differences between post-doctoral scientists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemist has an average salary of $64,961, which is higher than the $58,490 average annual salary of a post-doctoral scientist.
The top three skills for a post-doctoral scientist include research projects, molecular biology and PI. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $58,490 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $28.12 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,376 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A post-doctoral scientist is responsible for conducting more complex research studies to gain knowledge and expertise on scientific methodologies and investigations. Post-doctoral scientists collect materials and components for the examination that would support their scientific claims. They perform field investigations, interview participants, and write accurate reports for reference. A post-doctoral scientist must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, as well as an interest in discoveries and science nature that would play a vital role in the research development.
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Post-doctoral scientists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $58,490 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $78,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a post-doctoral scientist and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between post-doctoral scientists' and chemists' demographics:
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Chemist | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 33.1% White, 46.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |