Staff chemist vs environmental chemist

The differences between staff chemists and environmental chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff chemist has an average salary of $84,235, which is higher than the $56,956 average annual salary of an environmental chemist.

The top three skills for a staff chemist include chemistry, ms and GC. The most important skills for an environmental chemist are data validation, GC, and ms.

Staff chemist vs environmental chemist overview

	Staff Chemist	Environmental Chemist
Yearly salary	$84,235	$56,956
Hourly rate	$40.50	$27.38
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	70,982	22,234
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Staff chemist vs environmental chemist salary

Staff chemists and environmental chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Chemist	Environmental Chemist
Average salary	$84,235	$56,956
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $127,000	Between $38,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Delaware
Best paying company	Seagate Technology	Southern California Edison
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Internet

Differences between staff chemist and environmental chemist education

There are a few differences between a staff chemist and an environmental chemist in terms of educational background:

	Staff Chemist	Environmental Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of California, Berkeley

Staff chemist vs environmental chemist demographics

Here are the differences between staff chemists' and environmental chemists' demographics:

	Staff Chemist	Environmental Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%	Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between staff chemist and environmental chemist duties and responsibilities

Staff chemist example responsibilities.

Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
Support manufacturing processes by using HPLC, GC and IR.
Complete projects in compliance with FDA GLP and cGMP regulations.
Prepare reports using LIMS databases.
Create spectral databases for FTIR and Raman systems.
Operate GC-FID and GC-TID in addition to HPLC for pilot plant support.

Environmental chemist example responsibilities.

Manage storage of hazardous waste for compliance with RCRA regulations.
Manage and operate mobile laboratories analyzing a wide range of samples utilizing USEPA SW846 GC/MS and HPLC methods.
Achieve expertise with hydrogenations and catalysts, low temp reactions, TLC, reactions done with UV and infrare lights.
Achieve expertise with organic techniques like steam distillation, recrystallization, vacuum sublimation/distillation.
Administer various laboratory safety audits with regard to OSHA rules and regulations to maintain adherence and manage necessary corrective actions.
Conduct analysis of heavy metals in environmental soil and water samples using ICP-OES and ICP-MS

Staff chemist vs environmental chemist skills

Common staff chemist skills

Chemistry, 12%
Ms, 10%
GC, 6%
R, 6%
Gas Chromatography, 5%
Liquid Chromatography, 4%

Common environmental chemist skills

Data Validation, 8%
GC, 6%
Ms, 6%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
ICP-MS, 5%
Environmental Samples, 5%

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Staff Chemist
Staff Chemist vs Environmental Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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