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Quality assurance scientist vs chemist

The differences between quality assurance scientists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality assurance scientist has an average salary of $68,108, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.

The top three skills for a quality assurance scientist include GMP, FDA and ISO. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.

Quality assurance scientist vs chemist overview

Quality Assurance ScientistChemist
Yearly salary$68,108$64,961
Hourly rate$32.74$31.23
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs106,37320,221
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age3842
Years of experience--

What does a quality assurance scientist do?

In a manufacturing setting, a quality assurance scientist specializes in utilizing scientific procedures in ensuring that products adhere to a company's quality standards and policies. Their responsibilities include developing quality control procedures, conducting experiments and analysis, identifying areas needing improvement, implementing solutions in problem areas, and maintaining detailed records of results. Furthermore, as a quality assurance scientist, it is essential to keep an active communication line with the quality assurance team, coordinating every step of the way for an efficient and safe workflow.

What does a chemist do?

Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.

Quality assurance scientist vs chemist salary

Quality assurance scientists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Quality Assurance ScientistChemist
Average salary$68,108$64,961
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $93,000Between $46,000 And $90,000
Highest paying CityCentral Islip, NYWilmington, DE
Highest paying stateNew YorkDelaware
Best paying companyLantheusMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between quality assurance scientist and chemist education

There are a few differences between a quality assurance scientist and a chemist in terms of educational background:

Quality Assurance ScientistChemist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Southern California

Quality assurance scientist vs chemist demographics

Here are the differences between quality assurance scientists' and chemists' demographics:

Quality Assurance ScientistChemist
Average age3842
Gender ratioMale, 47.8% Female, 52.2%Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 15.2% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%5%

Differences between quality assurance scientist and chemist duties and responsibilities

Quality assurance scientist example responsibilities.

  • Manage a LIMS system for electronic entering, maintaining and retrieval of sample data and quality management.
  • Manage investigation reports for equipment maintenance and calibration OOS.
  • Evaluate all microbiology standard operating procedures for compliance to applicable regulations; GMP, USP, EP, and JP.
  • Record results using the LIMS system and release final batches.
  • Investigate when non-conformance results (OOS, OOT) are observed and document findings.
  • Operate sophisticated computer-control instrument like HPLC, GC-MS.
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Chemist example responsibilities.

  • Lead QA, engineering, and operations training events.
  • Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
  • Perform analysis of drug substance and drug product using HPLC, GC, dissolution and UV/VIS.
  • Utilize IR, AA, UV, HPLC and other chemical analysis equipment to assess product quality.
  • Prepare solutions to run on HPLC, ICP and AA instruments.
  • Involve in operation and preventative maintenance of LC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC instrumentation.
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Quality assurance scientist vs chemist skills

Common quality assurance scientist skills
  • GMP, 8%
  • FDA, 6%
  • ISO, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • Microbiology, 5%
  • CAPA, 4%
Common chemist skills
  • Chemistry, 20%
  • Lab Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Product Development, 5%
  • Method Development, 5%
  • HPLC, 5%

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