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The differences between production chemists and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemical engineer has an average salary of $89,449, 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 a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Production Chemist | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,937 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $30.26 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 58,948 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Production chemists and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Chemist | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $62,937 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $101,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pennsauken, NJ | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Texas |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between a production chemist and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Production Chemist | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between production chemists' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Production Chemist | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| 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, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |