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The differences between principal chemists and analytical chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal chemist has an average salary of $74,065, which is higher than the $61,573 average annual salary of an analytical chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for an analytical chemist are method development, HPLC, and laboratory equipment.
| Principal Chemist | Analytical Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $61,573 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $29.60 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 14,661 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Principal chemists require a bachelor's or master's degree, or even a doctorate, with a post-doctoral fellowship to gain hands-on experience doing research and chemistry, math, science, communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills. They will be expected to conduct quantitative and qualitative experiments on chemical substances for quality control, as well as develop new products or knowledge about said products, and conduct a battery of experiments on organic and inorganic compounds.
An Analytical Chemist uses a wide range of methods to investigate the chemical nature of substances. They analyze samples using different software, techniques, and equipment, and then interpret and report the results.
Principal chemists and analytical chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Analytical Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $61,573 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $44,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | Milford, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and an analytical chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Analytical Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between principal chemists' and analytical chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Analytical Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 29.2% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 19.2% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |