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The differences between principal chemists and senior chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior chemist has an average salary of $91,008, 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 senior chemist are method development, laboratory equipment, and HPLC.
| Principal Chemist | Senior Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $74,065 | $91,008 |
| Hourly rate | $35.61 | $43.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,121 | 12,823 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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.
Senior Chemists are responsible for designing, developing, and testing formulations and compounds. They also maintain and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and relevant documentation.
Principal chemists and senior chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Chemist | Senior Chemist | |
| Average salary | $74,065 | $91,008 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $105,000 | Between $67,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richland, WA | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal chemist and a senior chemist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Chemist | Senior Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between principal chemists' and senior chemists' demographics:
| Principal Chemist | Senior Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4% |
| 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, 9.3% Asian, 22.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |