What does a production chemist do?
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.
Production chemist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real production chemist resumes:
- Lead the team in the isolation and purification of critical enzymes vital to the manufacture of diagnostic medical reagents.
- Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
- Experience with running ELISA as well as SDS-PAGE.
- Coordinate with technicians on ELISA performance and troubleshooting.
- Perform UPLC, FTIR, and moisture analysis.
- Perform in-process and finish products sample testing using HPLC.
- Provide technical support in the contract manufacture of APIs.
- Record no red flag after ISO and Treatments/Methods laboratory audits.
- Key member of troubleshooting the production of an FDA license product.
- Cleaved oligonucleotides from the support column and deprotect the base protecting groups.
- Prepare reagent, test and volumetric solutions & standardization as per ASTM.
- Work in a sterile clean room environment, adhering to strict FDA guidelines.
- Involve in updating and creating SDS and new standards of operations for ISO certification.
- Apply ICP atomic emission spectroscopy, NIR, and UV/VIS principles to interpret sample data.
- Work autonomously performing CAPA investigations, troubleshooting, staff mentoring, and training of new employees.
Production chemist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Production Chemists are proficient in GMP, Laboratory Equipment, and Synthesis. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Production Chemists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- GMP, 13%
Identified manufacturing quality issues and generated deviation or non-conforming reports in order to maintain a GMP compliant work environment.
- Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Maintained instrumentation (preventative and trouble shooting) and routine maintenance on laboratory equipment/skids.
- Synthesis, 8%
Ensured chemical suitability for use by carrying out chemical synthesis, purification, and performing purity testing.
- ISO, 7%
Followed company SOP's and documented procedures in batch records in ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14585:2003 environment.
- R, 5%
Group liaison role driving technical and infrastructure projects doe R &D, Transfer groups and Manufacturing.
- Safety Guidelines, 4%
Follow all safety guidelines, manufacturing policies and procedures.
Common skills that a production chemist uses to do their job include "gmp," "laboratory equipment," and "synthesis." You can find details on the most important production chemist responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a production chemist to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what production chemists do because "chemists and materials scientists need to evaluate the results of experiments to ensure accuracy in their research." Additionally, a production chemist resume shows how production chemists use analytical skills: "recorded measurements, data, calculations, and observations and results according to fda, dea, and cgmp guidelines. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform production chemist duties is communication skills. Production chemists responsibilities require that "chemists and materials scientists must be able to convey information clearly in reports and presentations for both technical and nontechnical audiences." Production chemists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "conduct osha hazard communication and dot hazard materials training to all facility chemists. "
Math skills. production chemists are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to production chemist responsibilities, because "chemists and materials scientists regularly use calculus, algebra, statistics, and other math for calculations." A production chemist resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "performed quantitative, qualitative, and wet chemistry analysis. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what production chemists do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to production chemist responsibilities because "chemists and materials scientists must document processes carefully when conducting experiments, tracking outcomes, and analyzing results." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical production chemist tasks: "well versed in implementing standard operating procedures, organizational policies, and analytical methodologies accurately and consistently. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for production chemist responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of production chemists all the time, as "chemists’ and materials scientists’ work involves posing questions during research and finding answers through results." An excerpt from a real production chemist resume shows how this skill is central to what a production chemist does: "prepared reagents and buffer solutions, and maintained proper instrument and reagent records, all while adhering to iso guidelines. "
Time-management skills. Another skill commonly found on production chemist job descriptions is "time-management skills." It can come up quite often in production chemist duties, since "chemists and materials scientists usually need to meet deadlines and must be able to prioritize tasks while maintaining quality." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day production chemist responsibilities: "work to ensure timely and accurate testing of pharmaceuticals in a gmp facility in order to meet production and customer deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most production chemists are:
- Kelly Services3 production chemists jobs
- Immucor3 production chemists jobs
- Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals2 production chemists jobs
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Compare different production chemists
Production chemist vs. Quality control
As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between production chemists and quality control. For instance, production chemist responsibilities require skills such as "synthesis," "safety guidelines," "data entry," and "hazardous materials." Whereas a quality control is skilled in "quality checks," "safety standards," "quality standards," and "test results." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Quality controls earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,096. On the other hand, production chemists are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $82,391.On average, quality controls reach similar levels of education than production chemists. Quality controls are 4.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Production chemist vs. Assistant research scientist
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, production chemist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "iso," "safety guidelines," "data entry," and "hazardous materials." Meanwhile, an assistant research scientist has duties that require skills in areas such as "research projects," "data collection," "lab equipment," and "cell culture." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, assistant research scientists earn a lower salary than production chemists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant research scientists earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $71,080. Whereas production chemists have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $82,391.In general, assistant research scientists achieve higher levels of education than production chemists. They're 6.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for production chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Production chemist vs. Quality control associate
In a manufacturing setting, a quality control associate is in charge of conducting various tests to ensure that the products meet the company's standard criteria. Their responsibilities revolve around inspecting the workforce and workload involved in the production process, identifying errors or inconsistencies, recommending solutions and alterations, and maintaining records and documentation. Furthermore, as a quality control associate, it is essential to coordinate with department staff and produce progress reports, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a production chemist is likely to be skilled in "synthesis," "hazardous materials," "production process," and "good time management," while a typical quality control associate is skilled in "qc," "test methods," "environmental monitoring," and "test results."
Quality control associates earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $54,631. Comparatively, production chemists have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $82,391.Most quality control associates achieve a similar degree level compared to production chemists. For example, they're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production chemist vs. Quality control analyst
Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects. They are required to perform various tests to check for the durability of the product and other desirable characteristics. Quality assurance representatives must also collaborate with the manufacturing engineer to implement quality control programs and preparing training manuals and quality guidelines.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between production chemists and quality control analysts, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a production chemist might have more use for skills like "gmp," "laboratory equipment," "synthesis," and "safety guidelines." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of quality control analysts require skills like "qc," "lab equipment," "microbiology," and "test methods. "
The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for quality control analysts, with average annual pay of $62,870. Comparatively, the highest production chemist annual salary comes from the health care industry.In general, quality control analysts hold similar degree levels compared to production chemists. Quality control analysts are 0.2% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of production chemist
Updated January 8, 2025
