Staff chemist vs formulation chemist

The differences between staff chemists and formulation 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 $66,678 average annual salary of a formulation chemist.

The top three skills for a staff chemist include chemistry, ms and GC. The most important skills for a formulation chemist are scale-up, R, and product development.

Staff chemist vs formulation chemist overview

	Staff Chemist	Formulation Chemist
Yearly salary	$84,235	$66,678
Hourly rate	$40.50	$32.06
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	70,982	3,011
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Staff chemist vs formulation chemist salary

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

	Staff Chemist	Formulation Chemist
Average salary	$84,235	$66,678
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $127,000	Between $46,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Frederick, MD
Highest paying state	Delaware	Washington
Best paying company	Seagate Technology	Apple
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between staff chemist and formulation chemist education

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

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

Staff chemist vs formulation chemist demographics

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

	Staff Chemist	Formulation Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%	Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4%
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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.6% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between staff chemist and formulation 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.

Formulation chemist example responsibilities.

Utilize Citrix LIMS to register, manage, enter and release sample results for supervisor review.
Provide key data in GLP testing of in-house samples using GC, AA, and UV-Vis.
Follow ASTM procedures and criteria for analyzing products.
Create internal sensory training according to the ASTM method.
Help to aid the plant in becoming compliant with EPA standards.
Perform analysis of pharmaceutical drug products in compliance cGMP and GLP procedures.

Staff chemist vs formulation chemist skills

Common staff chemist skills

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

Common formulation chemist skills

Scale-Up, 8%
R, 7%
Product Development, 6%
Lab Notebook, 6%
Formulation Development, 5%
QC, 4%

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Staff Chemist
Staff Chemist vs Formulation Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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