Process chemist vs analytical chemist

The differences between process chemists and analytical chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a process chemist has an average salary of $81,542, which is higher than the $61,573 average annual salary of an analytical chemist.

The top three skills for a process chemist include lab equipment, HPLC and R. The most important skills for an analytical chemist are method development, HPLC, and laboratory equipment.

Process chemist vs analytical chemist overview

	Process Chemist	Analytical Chemist
Yearly salary	$81,542	$61,573
Hourly rate	$39.20	$29.60
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,813	14,661
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a process chemist do?

Process chemists are lab professionals who perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemicals in laboratories for quality control or to develop new products. These chemists are required to develop synthetic plans and run experiments to test their suitability for large-scale use. They must use different analytical methods and modeling software to monitor the reaction processes of chemicals as well as determine how changes in the process affect the final product. Process chemists must also be familiar with regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

What does an analytical chemist do?

An Analytical Chemist uses a wide range of methods to investigate the chemical nature of substances. They analyze samples using different software, techniques, and equipment, and then interpret and report the results.

Process chemist vs analytical chemist salary

Process chemists and analytical chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Process Chemist	Analytical Chemist
Average salary	$81,542	$61,573
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $121,000	Between $44,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	Wilmington, DE	Milford, MA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Delaware
Best paying company	Bio-Rad Laboratories	Micron Technology
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between process chemist and analytical chemist education

There are a few differences between a process chemist and an analytical chemist in terms of educational background:

	Process Chemist	Analytical Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Process chemist vs analytical chemist demographics

Here are the differences between process chemists' and analytical chemists' demographics:

	Process Chemist	Analytical Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7%	Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 20.5% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 19.2% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between process chemist and analytical chemist duties and responsibilities

Process chemist example responsibilities.

Manage synthesis and production of specialty chemicals for carpet and textile industry.
Support new, modify and existing chemical processes by developing and validating HPLC and GC methods with a rapid turnaround time.
Analyze unknown materials with FTIR, Raman, and SEM-EDS.
Display improving working knowledge of business processes as they relate to GMP manufacturing.
Create titration solution and other solutions such as stock solutions used in analysis.
Show a desire to learn about and understand advance chemistry principles underlying project assignments.

Analytical chemist example responsibilities.

Perform analysis of organic components on various samples using GC, AA, and wet chemical analysis.
Apply ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and AA to analyses of aqueous and acidic extracts of many geological materials.
Analyze generic pharmaceutical preparations utilizing HPLC and dissolution apparatus to ensure content and uniformity in accordance with FDA and USP monographs.
Develop novel FT-IR, UV/VIS stopped-flow kinetic methods.
Conduct UV/VIS and wet analyses of consumer product samples submit.
Develop ELISA and WB assays for host cell proteins and vaccine components.

Process chemist vs analytical chemist skills

Common process chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 7%
HPLC, 6%
R, 5%
GMP, 5%
NMR, 4%
Sigma, 4%

Common analytical chemist skills

Method Development, 9%
HPLC, 8%
Laboratory Equipment, 8%
GMP, 4%
GC, 4%
Ms, 4%

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Process Chemist
Process Chemist vs Analytical Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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