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The differences between principal chemists and principal scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $74,065 average annual salary of a principal chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for a principal scientist are oncology, data analysis, and drug discovery.
| Principal Chemist | Principal Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $119,982 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $57.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 80,899 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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 Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.
Principal chemists and principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Principal Scientist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $119,982 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $84,000 And $169,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a principal scientist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Principal Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Duke University |
Here are the differences between principal chemists' and principal scientists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Principal Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |