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The differences between principal chemists and production 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 $62,937 average annual salary of a production chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for a production chemist are GMP, laboratory equipment, and synthesis.
| Principal Chemist | Production Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $62,937 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $30.26 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 58,948 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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 production chemist is responsible for conducting research and laboratory experiments to identify chemical resources that support the manufacturing of industrial products and services. Production chemists strategize on effective methods to maximize the product's quality and efficiency, following safety regulations and legislation procedures. They also run quality checks on the components to verify their safety and minimize their environmental effect. A production chemist must have excellent organizational and critical-thinking skills, as well as having extensive knowledge of the scientific industry.
Principal chemists and production chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Production Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $62,937 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $38,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | Pennsauken, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Bio-Rad Laboratories |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a production chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Production Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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 production chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Production Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% |
| 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, 7.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 24.4% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |