Spectroscopist vs chemical technician

The differences between spectroscopists and chemical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a spectroscopist and a chemical technician. Additionally, a spectroscopist has an average salary of $67,733, which is higher than the $42,584 average annual salary of a chemical technician.

The top three skills for a spectroscopist include nmr spectroscopy, NMR and chemistry. The most important skills for a chemical technician are lab equipment, safety procedures, and hazardous materials.

Spectroscopist vs chemical technician overview

	Spectroscopist	Chemical Technician
Yearly salary	$67,733	$42,584
Hourly rate	$32.56	$20.47
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	146	40,191
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Spectroscopist vs chemical technician salary

Spectroscopists and chemical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Spectroscopist	Chemical Technician
Average salary	$67,733	$42,584
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $118,000	Between $30,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Calpine
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between spectroscopist and chemical technician education

There are a few differences between a spectroscopist and a chemical technician in terms of educational background:

	Spectroscopist	Chemical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	Stanford University	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Spectroscopist vs chemical technician demographics

Here are the differences between spectroscopists' and chemical technicians' demographics:

	Spectroscopist	Chemical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2%	Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between spectroscopist and chemical technician duties and responsibilities

Spectroscopist example responsibilities.

Manage the QC program for custom synthesize DNA (oligomer) using laser base mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF).
Manage QC of molecular beacons by fluorescence spectroscopy.
Perform routine NMR maintenance, including liquid nitrogen and liquid helium fills.
Decrease sample evaluation times from days to hours by performing in-house IR analysis on submit samples.
Perform large-scale purification using FPLC, HPLC, immuno-affinity chromatography.
Establish the pharmaceutical testing laboratory and transition the laboratory to being fully functional in GMP compliance.

Chemical technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily production schedule, monitor machine operation, addressed any etching machinery problems.
Used the FTIR to determine the consistency of the BPA.
Sample preparation for ICP, ICPMS, FLAA, and IC.
Metal analysis through ICP OES testing.
Perform GC/MS analyses using sw846, EPA and CLP methodologies.
Maintain, organize, and update MSDS database for entire company.

Spectroscopist vs chemical technician skills

Common spectroscopist skills

Nmr Spectroscopy, 31%
NMR, 25%
Chemistry, 19%
FTIR, 7%
Hazardous Materials, 5%
IR, 5%

Common chemical technician skills

Lab Equipment, 10%
Safety Procedures, 8%
Hazardous Materials, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Math, 5%
Troubleshoot, 3%

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Spectroscopist
Spectroscopist vs Chemical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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