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The differences between toxicologists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a toxicologist has an average salary of $75,601, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.
The top three skills for a toxicologist include risk assessments, chemistry and product safety. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Toxicologist | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $75,601 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $36.35 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 21,835 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A toxicologist specializes in studying toxic substances and how it affects living organisms such as humans and animals. They may work at learning institutions, private laboratories or businesses, medical facilities, and even government agencies. Although the extent of their duties varies on their place of employment, it typically includes conducting studies and scientific research, coordinating with fellow experts, gathering and processing samples through various laboratory procedures, maintaining records, and drawing conclusions based on the research findings.
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Toxicologists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Toxicologist | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $75,601 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $124,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Paramus, NJ | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Exxon Mobil | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a toxicologist and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Toxicologist | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between toxicologists' and chemists' demographics:
| Toxicologist | Chemist | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 23.3% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |