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The differences between principal chemists and quality control 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 $58,892 average annual salary of a quality control chemist.
The top three skills for a principal chemist include analytical chemistry, R and product development. The most important skills for a quality control chemist are QC, HPLC, and lab equipment.
| Principal Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $58,892 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $28.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 90,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.
Principal chemists and quality control chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $58,892 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $45,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | North Kingstown, RI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Hallstar |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a quality control chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| 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 quality control chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Quality Control Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% |
| 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, 21.4% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |