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The differences between principal chemists and formulation 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 $66,678 average annual salary of a formulation chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for a formulation chemist are scale-up, R, and product development.
| Principal Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $66,678 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $32.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 3,011 |
| 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.
A formulation chemist is responsible for generating new concepts for product development that adhere to quality standards and safety regulations. Formulation chemists identify product opportunities by analyzing the current industry trends, developing cost-reduction initiatives, and determining efficient formulations through in-depth research and laboratory experiments. They write formulation reports and product processing, collaborating with the marketing and sales team for brand promotion and awareness. A formulation chemist must have a critical understanding of scientific methods, including chemical mixing, to achieve desired outputs.
Principal chemists and formulation chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $66,678 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $46,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | Frederick, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a formulation chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Formulation 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 formulation chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Formulation Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4% |
| 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |