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The differences between principal chemists and laboratory 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 $62,702 average annual salary of a laboratory chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for a laboratory chemist are lab equipment, chromatography, and analytical methods.
| Principal Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $62,702 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $30.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 41,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| 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.
Laboratory Chemists are licensed scientists who work with chemicals. They are usually found in academic institutions or research facilities. Laboratory Chemists create experiments based on the needs of the institution or company. They mix different chemicals to make the desired results. They would also analyze compounds borne out of the different mixtures and record their observations. They tabulate the results and present these to the body. Laboratory Chemists should have good organization skills. They should be able to document their experiments properly. This would help the company and future researchers.
Principal chemists and laboratory chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $62,702 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $45,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | Nutley, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | BASF |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a laboratory chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| 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 laboratory chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Laboratory Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |