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The differences between production chemists and associate scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate scientist has an average salary of $76,461, which is higher than the $62,937 average annual salary of a production chemist.
The top three skills for a production chemist include GMP, laboratory equipment and synthesis. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Production Chemist | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,937 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $30.26 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 58,948 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A production chemist is responsible for conducting research and laboratory experiments to identify chemical resources that support the manufacturing of industrial products and services. Production chemists strategize on effective methods to maximize the product's quality and efficiency, following safety regulations and legislation procedures. They also run quality checks on the components to verify their safety and minimize their environmental effect. A production chemist must have excellent organizational and critical-thinking skills, as well as having extensive knowledge of the scientific industry.
An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.
Production chemists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Chemist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $62,937 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $101,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pennsauken, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a production chemist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Production Chemist | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between production chemists' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Production Chemist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 24.4% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |