What does a research chemist do?
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.
Research chemist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real research chemist resumes:
- Manage the CDS and LIMS systems for the institute.
- Manage and record experimental data with lab management software (LIMS).
- Manage projects involving the development of GC/MS methods, particle collection systems, and Raman spectral database creation.
- Characterize the particles using SEM, DSC, IR, and UV-Vis.
- Identify sample structure using microscopy, crystallography, NMR, UV/VIS, GC and AAS.
- Develop GC & FTIR instrumental methods of analysis to support quality of incoming raw materials to ensure quality of finish products.
- Perform testing methods using such as TLC, and GC-MS.
- Determine amounts of manganese in blood serum by UV/VIS spectroscopy.
- Analyze baths using spectrophotometry, ICP and basic titration methods.
- Develop and implement FTIR analysis of used diesel oil to determine fuel dilution.
- Perform analytical work using classical wet chemistry and ICP for rare earth metals and silicon compounds
- Conduct stability studies and demonstrate knowledge of government regulations, including GLP and GMP requirements.
- Evaluate extend of cure profiles, heat capacity, and glass transitions temperatures of materials using DSC.
- Develop novel LC/MS method for simultaneous analysis of multi-toxins in corn and peanuts in parts per billion levels.
- Purify, isolate, and characterize compounds at each step by TLC, IR, NMR, and LC-MS.
Research chemist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Research Chemists are proficient in Laboratory Equipment, Method Development, and R. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Research Chemists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Adapt literature methodology to available laboratory equipment and establish validation documentation to support accurate performance.
- Method Development, 10%
Performed method development, validation, impurity identification and method transfer to the Antwerp, Belgium manufacturing facility.
- R, 9%
Used R, SSL, and SQL programming to identify and fix multiple processing and GUI problems with StarLIMS v9.
- HPLC, 5%
Experience in quantitative HPLC characterization of linear and branched homo- and co-polymers.
- Analytical Chemistry, 5%
Utilized analytical chemistry and molecular biology techniques - Followed, wrote, and developed standard operating procedures
- Polymer, 5%
Optimized materials and coating formulations for high-performance self-developing and processor-free radiation-sensitive imaging polymer films for medical applications.
"laboratory equipment," "method development," and "r" are among the most common skills that research chemists use at work. You can find even more research chemist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a research chemist to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "chemists and materials scientists need to evaluate the results of experiments to ensure accuracy in their research." Research chemists often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "searched literature and developed methods for testing of various formulations for routine analysis and also to respond fda. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform research chemist duties is communication skills. Research chemists responsibilities require that "chemists and materials scientists must be able to convey information clearly in reports and presentations for both technical and nontechnical audiences." Research chemists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "coordinate work and communications between analytical sciences teams and regulatory department to satisfy identified chemistry items listed in fda deficiency letters. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for research chemists to perform their duties. For an example of how research chemist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "chemists and materials scientists typically work on teams and need to be cooperative." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a research chemist: "demonstrated interpersonal skills by working with medicinal chemists to solve chemistry problems inherent in scale-up of organic reactions. ".
Math skills. For certain research chemist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a research chemist rely on this skill, as "chemists and materials scientists regularly use calculus, algebra, statistics, and other math for calculations." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what research chemists do: "performed qualitative and quantitative analytical work on developed materials including gc-ms, nmr, ftir, and various electrochemical methods. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for research chemist responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of research chemists all the time, as "chemists and materials scientists must document processes carefully when conducting experiments, tracking outcomes, and analyzing results." An excerpt from a real research chemist resume shows how this skill is central to what a research chemist does: "well versed in implementing standard operating procedures, organizational policies, and analytical methodologies accurately and consistently. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on research chemist job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in research chemist duties, since "chemists’ and materials scientists’ work involves posing questions during research and finding answers through results." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day research chemist responsibilities: "calibrated and maintained laboratory equipment including hplcs, dissolution units, freezers, and stability chambers. "
The three companies that hire the most research chemists are:
- Church & Dwight Co.19 research chemists jobs
- PPG10 research chemists jobs
- ADM2 research chemists jobs
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Compare different research chemists
Research chemist vs. Quality control associate
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a research chemist are more likely to require skills like "analytical chemistry," "polymer," "organic synthesis," and "gc-ms." On the other hand, a job as a quality control associate requires skills like "qc," "qc testing," "environmental monitoring," and "test results." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Quality control associates earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $54,631. On the other hand, research chemists are paid more in the energy industry with an average salary of $92,565.quality control associates tend to reach lower levels of education than research chemists. In fact, quality control associates are 7.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 10.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Research chemist vs. Quality control analyst
Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects. They are required to perform various tests to check for the durability of the product and other desirable characteristics. Quality assurance representatives must also collaborate with the manufacturing engineer to implement quality control programs and preparing training manuals and quality guidelines.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that research chemist responsibilities requires skills like "laboratory equipment," "analytical chemistry," "polymer," and "organic synthesis." But a quality control analyst might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "qc," "lab equipment," "microbiology," and "test results."
Quality control analysts earn a lower average salary than research chemists. But quality control analysts earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $62,870. Additionally, research chemists earn the highest salaries in the energy with average pay of $92,565 annually.quality control analysts earn lower levels of education than research chemists in general. They're 5.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 10.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for research chemists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Research chemist vs. Quality control
As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, research chemists are more likely to have skills like "method development," "analytical chemistry," "polymer," and "organic synthesis." But a quality control is more likely to have skills like "quality checks," "product quality," "safety standards," and "quality standards."
Quality controls earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $36,096. Research chemists earn the highest pay from the energy industry, with an average salary of $92,565.Most quality controls achieve a lower degree level compared to research chemists. For example, they're 9.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 9.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Research chemist vs. Microbiologist
Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases. They use sophisticated technologies and machinery to study microbes and perform their tasks. These scientists are also responsible for developing best practices and techniques for routine sampling and research. Microbiologists may work in various settings, including laboratories, research institutes, and hospitals.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between research chemists and microbiologists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a research chemist might have more use for skills like "laboratory equipment," "method development," "analytical chemistry," and "polymer." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of microbiologists require skills like "lab equipment," "microbiology lab," "environmental monitoring," and "laboratory procedures. "
In general, microbiologists earn the most working in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $57,911. The highest-paying industry for a research chemist is the energy industry.microbiologists reach similar levels of education compared to research chemists, in general. The difference is that they're 2.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 8.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of research chemist
Updated January 8, 2025
