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The differences between production chemists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research chemist has an average salary of $75,843, 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 research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Production Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,937 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $30.26 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 58,948 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| 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 research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.
Production chemists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $62,937 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $101,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pennsauken, NJ | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Virginia |
| 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 research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Production Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between production chemists' and research chemists' demographics:
| Production Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| 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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |