Staff scientist vs research chemist

The differences between staff scientists and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $75,843 average annual salary of a research chemist.

The top three skills for a staff scientist include data analysis, research projects and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.

Staff scientist vs research chemist overview

	Staff Scientist	Research Chemist
Yearly salary	$93,941	$75,843
Hourly rate	$45.16	$36.46
Growth rate	17%	6%
Number of jobs	121,054	53,769
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	41	42
Years of experience	4	-

What does a staff scientist do?

The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.

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.

Staff scientist vs research chemist salary

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

	Staff Scientist	Research Chemist
Average salary	$93,941	$75,843
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $137,000	Between $53,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Redwood City, CA	McLean, VA
Highest paying state	California	Virginia
Best paying company	Etsy	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Technology	Energy

Differences between staff scientist and research chemist education

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

	Staff Scientist	Research Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Staff scientist vs research chemist demographics

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

	Staff Scientist	Research Chemist
Average age	41	42
Gender ratio	Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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	8%	5%

Differences between staff scientist and research chemist duties and responsibilities

Staff scientist example responsibilities.

Lead efforts to replace a critical radioactive immunoassay with a non-radioactive format to measure clinical samples.
Manage clinical sample testing using MSD and ELISA in LIMS, including data review and approval using LIMS.
Assist in managing and maintenance of HPLC and Prep-HPLC systems to ensure maximum productivity for the process development group.
Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
Assist with RNA and DNA extractions from FFPE tissue and blood.
Supervise temps performing HPLC assays and validations during development and production campaigns under GMP conditions.

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 scientist vs research chemist skills

Common staff scientist skills

Data Analysis, 9%
Research Projects, 7%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Next-Generation Sequencing, 4%
Statistical Analysis, 4%
RNA, 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 Scientist vs Research Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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