Project chemist vs field chemist

The differences between project chemists and field chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a field chemist has an average salary of $66,162, which is higher than the $54,278 average annual salary of a project chemist.

The top three skills for a project chemist include gas chromatography, method development and laboratory services. The most important skills for a field chemist are CDL, non-hazardous waste, and customer sites.

Project chemist vs field chemist overview

	Project Chemist	Field Chemist
Yearly salary	$54,278	$66,162
Hourly rate	$26.10	$31.81
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	7,988	51,922
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Project chemist vs field chemist salary

Project chemists and field chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Project Chemist	Field Chemist
Average salary	$54,278	$66,162
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $81,000	Between $43,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between project chemist and field chemist education

There are a few differences between a project chemist and a field chemist in terms of educational background:

	Project Chemist	Field Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley

Project chemist vs field chemist demographics

Here are the differences between project chemists' and field chemists' demographics:

	Project Chemist	Field Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between project chemist and field chemist duties and responsibilities

Project chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Use LIMS to monitor samples world-wide and communicate with global sites in order to keep track of data for specific projects.
Review project-specific sampling and analysis plans and subsequent translation of those requirements into the laboratory information management system (LIMS).
Take initiative to be cross-train in chemistry methods used by the company to perform additional tests that ensure uninterrupt laboratory operation.
Perform testing on gas chromatograph to verify PCB contamination levels.

Field chemist example responsibilities.

Manage and audit projects to ensure compliance of state, federal and OSHA regulations.
Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Utilize analytic testing on new compounds using the following techniques: GC-MS, HPLC and ICP.
Test products for QC using standard procedures.
Analyze air samples by HPLC following EPA methods.

Project chemist vs field chemist skills

Common project chemist skills

Gas Chromatography, 9%
Method Development, 8%
Laboratory Services, 8%
DOD, 7%
Analytical Methods, 6%
Analytical Instrumentation, 5%

Common field chemist skills

CDL, 39%
Non-Hazardous Waste, 7%
Customer Sites, 7%
Household Hazardous Waste, 6%
OSHA, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%

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Project Chemist
Project Chemist vs Field Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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