Staff chemist vs research chemist

The differences between staff chemists and research 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 $75,843 average annual salary of a research chemist.

The top three skills for a staff chemist include chemistry, ms and GC. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.

Staff chemist vs research chemist overview

	Staff Chemist	Research Chemist
Yearly salary	$84,235	$75,843
Hourly rate	$40.50	$36.46
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	70,982	53,769
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Staff chemist vs research chemist salary

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

	Staff Chemist	Research Chemist
Average salary	$84,235	$75,843
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $127,000	Between $53,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	McLean, VA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Virginia
Best paying company	Seagate Technology	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Energy

Differences between staff chemist and research chemist education

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

	Staff Chemist	Research Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Staff chemist vs research chemist demographics

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

	Staff Chemist	Research Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%
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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between staff chemist and research 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.

Research chemist example responsibilities.

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.

Staff chemist vs research chemist skills

Common staff chemist skills

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

Common research chemist skills

Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Method Development, 10%
R, 9%
HPLC, 5%
Analytical Chemistry, 5%
Polymer, 5%

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Staff Chemist
Staff Chemist vs Research Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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