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The differences between quality assurance 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 $59,242 average annual salary of a quality assurance chemist.
The top three skills for a quality assurance chemist include lab equipment, R and HPLC. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Quality Assurance Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,242 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $28.48 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 66,457 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Quality Assurance Chemists generally offer pay of around $54K per year and require strong skills in analysis and instrumentation and general knowledge of chemistry, attention to detail, and various organizational skills. Also, they must be able to investigate and analyze problems whenever they crop up. This career choice requires a bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, depending on the industry, and will often be offered in pharmaceutical fields, where standard duties consist of the measurement and testing of lab materials and products according to industry standards.
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.
Quality assurance chemists and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $59,242 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $82,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Windsor, NJ | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Clariant | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance chemist and a research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance 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 quality assurance chemists' and research chemists' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Chemist | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.6% 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% |