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The differences between production chemists and research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, 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 scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Production Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,937 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $30.26 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 58,948 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Production chemists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $62,937 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $101,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pennsauken, NJ | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a production chemist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Production Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between production chemists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Production Chemist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |