What is a quality control chemist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

A quality control chemist is an individual responsible for ensuring that products and materials meet specific quality standards. They use analytical techniques to test samples, identify and quantify impurities, and verify product specifications. Quality control chemists work in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and cosmetics. They must follow strict protocols and procedures to ensure accuracy and consistency in their work. Their work is critical in ensuring that products meet the required standards.

What general advice would you give to a quality control chemist?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreQuality Control ChemistUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $58,892

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%

Asian 21.39%

Black or African American 7.70%

Hispanic or Latino 9.32%

Unknown 4.57%

White 56.78%

Gender

female 43.47%

male 56.53%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a quality control chemist?

Pros

Opportunity to ensure product quality and safety
Chance to work with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment
Possibility for career advancement within the company
Great training and development opportunities
Involvement in research and development projects

Cons

Repetitive nature of quality control testing can become tedious
Strict adherence to standard operating procedures can be limiting
Pressure to meet production deadlines can be stressful
Extensive documentation and record keeping can be time-consuming
Possibility of inconsistent workloads depending on production demands

Key steps to become a quality control chemist

Explore quality control chemist education requirements

Most common quality control chemist degrees

Bachelor's

81.5 %

Master's

11.7 %

Associate

4.1 %

Start to develop specific quality control chemist skills

Skills	Percentages
QC	9.17%
HPLC	7.06%
Lab Equipment	6.83%
GMP	5.68%
Analytical Methods	4.82%

Complete relevant quality control chemist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality control chemists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a quality control chemist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality control chemist resumes.

Research quality control chemist duties and responsibilities

Manage investigations of out of spec results and complaints in CatsWEB CAPA management system.
Verify raw material compliance utilizing ICP, FTIR, and USP wet chemistry methods.
Perform analysis utilizing UV/VIS, FTIR, Karl Fischer, and TLC.
Perform the potency studies, dissolution, and uniformity, by using HPLC, GC, and UV/VIS.

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