Water chemist vs laboratory chemist

The differences between water chemists and laboratory chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a laboratory chemist has an average salary of $62,702, which is higher than the $57,165 average annual salary of a water chemist.

The top three skills for a water chemist include water samples, QC and laboratory equipment. The most important skills for a laboratory chemist are lab equipment, chromatography, and analytical methods.

Water chemist vs laboratory chemist overview

	Water Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Yearly salary	$57,165	$62,702
Hourly rate	$27.48	$30.15
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	8,829	41,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Water chemist vs laboratory chemist salary

Water chemists and laboratory chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average salary	$57,165	$62,702
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $83,000	Between $45,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	Nutley, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	BASF
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between water chemist and laboratory chemist education

There are a few differences between a water chemist and a laboratory chemist in terms of educational background:

	Water Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Water chemist vs laboratory chemist demographics

Here are the differences between water chemists' and laboratory chemists' demographics:

	Water Chemist	Laboratory Chemist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9%	Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 18.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between water chemist and laboratory chemist duties and responsibilities

Water chemist example responsibilities.

Administer various laboratory safety audits with regard to OSHA rules and regulations to maintain adherence and manage necessary corrective actions.
Operate and maintain lab instrumentation such as pH meter, titration apparatus, spectrophotometer, etc.
Design FTIR chemical mapping/imaging experiments to evaluate sample heterogeneity, contamination, diffusion kinetics, dispersion quality and polymer cure uniformity.
Conduct laboratory analysis through the use of atomic absorption spectroscopy, titrations, and spectrophotometry.

Laboratory chemist example responsibilities.

Test developmental compounds to ASTM standards and manage certification submissions.
Perform testing on BioGlue components, titration - uv-vis - gel electrophoresis, and FTIR examination of incoming raw materials.
Develop and execute HPLC, UV and dissolution test methods for non-routine raw materials and finish products.
Conduct raw material analyses, perform tests using FTIR and GC instrumentation, develop policies and procedures, conduct trouble shooting.
Include GPC, GC-MS, FTIR, NMR and others
Participate in all kind of audit like ISO 17025, ISO 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Water chemist vs laboratory chemist skills

Common water chemist skills

Water Samples, 14%
QC, 13%
Laboratory Equipment, 12%
Water Treatment Plant, 12%
Water Quality, 11%
Laboratory Procedures, 9%

Common laboratory chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 8%
Chromatography, 5%
Analytical Methods, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 4%
Wet Chemistry, 4%

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Water Chemist vs Laboratory Chemist

Updated January 8, 2025

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