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The differences between process chemists and 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 $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.
The top three skills for a process chemist include lab equipment, HPLC and R. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Process Chemist | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,542 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $39.20 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 29,813 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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).
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Process chemists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Chemist | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $81,542 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $121,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a process chemist and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Process Chemist | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between process chemists' and chemists' demographics:
| Process Chemist | 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |