Process chemist vs laboratory analyst

The differences between process chemists and laboratory analysts 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 $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.

The top three skills for a process chemist include lab equipment, HPLC and R. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.

Process chemist vs laboratory analyst overview

	Process Chemist	Laboratory Analyst
Yearly salary	$81,542	$44,024
Hourly rate	$39.20	$21.17
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	29,813	44,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	-	2

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 a laboratory analyst do?

A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.

Process chemist vs laboratory analyst salary

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

	Process Chemist	Laboratory Analyst
Average salary	$81,542	$44,024
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $121,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Wilmington, DE	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Delaware	New York
Best paying company	Bio-Rad Laboratories	AbbVie
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Pharmaceutical

Differences between process chemist and laboratory analyst education

There are a few differences between a process chemist and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:

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

Process chemist vs laboratory analyst demographics

Here are the differences between process chemists' and laboratory analysts' demographics:

	Process Chemist	Laboratory Analyst
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
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, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	8%

Differences between process chemist and laboratory analyst 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.

Laboratory analyst example responsibilities.

Use sophisticate laboratory instrumentation (HPLC, FTIR, UV, GC) and computer systems to collect and record data.
Analyze organic compounds using gravimetric, titration, distillation and spectrophotometry methods.
Prepare for and represent the laboratory during FDA, customer, and ISO audits.
Complete preparation of organic samples for GC, HPLC, IR and GCMS analysis.
Prepare solid and aqueous samples for analysis on diagnostic instruments including GC, GCMS and IC.
Utilize internal LIMS computer database for data entry and communication.

Process chemist vs laboratory analyst skills

Common process chemist skills

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

Common laboratory analyst skills

Test Methods, 8%
Lab Equipment, 7%
Lims, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 5%
Analytical Methods, 4%

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Process Chemist
Process Chemist vs Laboratory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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