Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between quality control associates and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemist has an average salary of $64,961, which is higher than the $44,519 average annual salary of a quality control associate.
The top three skills for a quality control associate include QC, GMP and laboratory equipment. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Quality Control Associate | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,519 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $21.40 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 83,137 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
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 control associates and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Associate | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $44,519 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $71,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | New York | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a quality control associate and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Associate | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between quality control associates' and chemists' demographics:
| Quality Control Associate | Chemist | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.0% Female, 50.0% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 Percentage | 8% | 5% |