Chemical Analyst Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a chemical analyst job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a chemical analyst. Feel free to use our chemical analyst job description template to produce your own chemical analyst job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a chemical analyst.
Who is a Chemical Analyst?
Chemical Analysts gather information or data about the composition of chemical substances, and procedures and communicate this information through the guidelines of science, engineering, and mathematics. They usually spend extended hours in the laboratories conducting research using test tubes, scientific equipment, and other test tubes. They also take records of documents and publish their findings in journals so that people can use them as a point of reference in the nearest future. They also work with diverse materials such as minerals, liquids, metals, and living organisms.
Chemical analysts make use of various scientific techniques to conduct their analyses. They may also utilize chromatography, spectrometry, or other methods to break down compounds into little parts so that they can easily be recognizable and quantified.
The basic responsibility of a chemical analyst is to design, set, and conduct experiments and analyses. He or she must be able to maintain and operate lab equipment, prepare chemical samples appropriately and perform other tasks that designing an experiment. Chemical analyst spends a lot of their time drafting a good portion of their report and scientific papers, evaluating data, and utilizing computers to design or model experiments.
They design, conduct, and analyze an experiment and it can months or years to come up with the result. After an experiment has been conducted; an analyst must document and draft it into a result. A long-term project or research may involve a lot of experiments before conclusions arrive although to conclude you must analyze diverse experiments to see if they correlate. The function and the utilization of the data solely on the type of industry the chemical analyst is working in.
Chemical Analyst Job Description
What is a chemical analyst job description? A chemical analyst job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a chemical analyst in an organization. Below are the chemical analyst job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a chemical analyst job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a Chemical Analyst are:
- Surveying data from experiments, tests, and analyses performed by other scientists to determine whether the results can be used to make inferences about other sets of data
- Performing experiments to test the effects of various chemicals on plant or animal cells in culture or on whole organisms in controlled settings such as labs or greenhouse
- Evaluating chemical samples collected from industrial waste sites to determine the presence of hazardous materials such as mercury or asbestos
- Examining samples collected from residential environments such as drinking water, soil, and air samples for contaminates such as lead or asbestos fibers
- Performing testing to ensure that products meet federal standards for safety and quality
- Formulating reports detailing findings from experiments and analyses
- Assembling samples of substances to be analyzed by using methods such as distillation, evaporation, chromatography, or spectrometry
- Keeping records of all tests conducted and samples evaluated to guarantee accurate results during lab audits
- Compiling and analyzing samples from a variety of sources such as manufacturing plants, industrial sites, and waste disposal
- Conducting routine and non-routine chemical analysis of products using a standard operating procedure
- Writing and executing chemical testing techniques
- Sustaining up-to-date documents for chemical testing methods and activities
- Utilizing laboratory equipment safely and effectively to conduct testing
- Documenting, analyzing, and reporting test results to managers
- Documenting all the test data related to chemical additions, dumb cycles, and purification
- Adhering to strict approaches to the documentation of data
- Reporting scientific data
- Liaising with customers, staff, and suppliers
- Maintaining constant awareness of health and safety procedures while performing research and other laboratory activities
Qualifications
Education: the basic qualification to become a chemical analyst is to acquire a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or a similar field. You need to comprehend courses in organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, mathematics, and statistics to have an excellent career. As an analyst, you can also acquire an advanced degree in Chemistry or any related source to perform your responsibilities successfully.
Training & Experience: experience is highly fundamental for a chemical analyst and most employers require that you possess a minimum of two experience as a chemical analyst. This experience can be gotten in a laboratory setting or a specific industry such as a manufacturing industry. Employers can also employ a candidate with a bachelor’s degree in a different field if the person has experience in the industry.
Certifications and Licenses: certifications are not paramount for a chemical analyst but you can acquire certifications to boost your job prospects. It can also show that you are very familiar with the industry in that you are applying for a job.
Skills: Possess the following skills: Analytical Skills, Communication, Problem-solving, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure.
Essential Skills
- Communication Skill
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure
- Analytical Method
- Ability to use lab equipment
- Communication Skills: chemical analysts both be able to communicate both verbally and written with other experts in the field such as managers, engineers, and analysts. They should be able to communicate with clients and customers to remain successful or possess steady career growth. They must know how to conduct research or experiments and document the findings so that they can be consulted for future reference. In other words, they must also possess good presentation skills to be able to present the research they conducted.
- Problem-solving; Analysts must utilize problem-solving skills to recognize the cause of contamination, determine the best strategy of treatment and analyze the effectiveness of treatment strategies. They must also employ the problem -solving skills to identify and execute solutions to workplace hazards.
- Attention to detail: Analysts need to be much more focused and not make mistakes in recording information during a test procedure because it can hamper the whole research problem. Chemical analysts should be able to document every piece of information about the chemicals they are testing, the source of the chemical, the date the testing began, and the day it ended. This information is very crucial for tracking the chemical progress and guaranteeing that the results are accurate.
- Ability to work Under Pressure: working under pressure has to do with a chemical analyst performing his duties in convenient and non-convenient situations. This is a very crucial skill for chemical analysts because they may be called upon at any time of the day to analyze samples quickly when there is a prevalent issue. For instance, if a company’s product does not comply with safety standards, a chemical analyst must be able to evaluate the product to determine the root of the problem and how to fix it.
- Analytical Skills: this has to do with the ability to interpret data and finalize conclusions. Chemical analysts employ analytical skills to interpret data from experiments conducted and finally test the result. They utilize analytical skills to recognize chemical compounds, ascertain the chemical purity of substances and identify potential hazards.
- Ability to use lab Equipment: You must know how to use the lab equipment to conduct experiments and come up with the final result. You must know how to set up the lab equipment and also maintain the lab equipment. You should be able to train newly recruited chemical analysts on how they can utilize lab equipment such as Lab pumps, laminar flow hoods, incubators, calibrated pipettes, and also many others.
How to Become a Chemical Analyst
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
The education you will need depends on the career goals you have set but the basic step to becoming a chemical analyst is to enroll for a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, statistics or any relevant field is a great way to start your career. Earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry is the typical way of getting entry-level jobs in analytical chemistry such as Research. If you want to become a chemical analyst, you must conduct applied research you will need to also proceed to acquire a master’s degree because most employers give preference to candidates with a master’s degree. You can enroll for a master’s degree in organic chemistry or biochemistry.
A master’s degree can qualify you to earn a top-notch position in the field of analytical chemistry. Such positions can be management or administrative positions. Some employers may mandate that you possess a Ph.D. in a specialized area of chemistry or possess a job experience in the field if you have acquired your master’s degree so that you can qualify for higher positions in analytical chemistry.
If you want to work in the sales, marketing, or consulting department; you will need to possess experience in sales and marketing. You should also possess a basic knowledge of how the business operates to function in this department. It is important to also acquire a business certification to pursue a career in sales, management, or chemical analysis consulting.
- Get Working Experience
You should get basic work experience to prove that you are eligible for the job. During your undergraduate days in school, you can get basic work experience by pursuing an internship or co-work opportunities. This is one of the best ways to get acquire practical work experience and also discover other opportunities in the field of chemical analysis.
Work experience can be gaining relevant experience in the chemical laboratory, working as a chemical compounder, and working as a research assistant. All these job responsibilities that you work with chemicals such as mixing the chemicals, testing the chemicals, and documenting final results and processes. These opportunities can help you to hone skills in all these areas and they will also put you in the good books of employees. You can also get experience by submitting to a mentor in the field; a professional who can guide you on how you can conduct excellent experiments and come out with accurate results.
- Draft your resume and Apply for Jobs
You can draft your resume after you have acquired the basic experience your resume should highlight your educational qualification, skills, and experience. Focus on the following skills analytical skills and problem-solving skills to prove to your employer that you are the most eligible candidate for the job. You can also showcase a portfolio of chemical experiments you have conducted in the past and how you have handled them successfully. Draft your cover letter and attach it to your resume to start applying for open job vacancies in your locality and other locations.
Where to Work as a Chemical Analyst
Chemical Analysts can work in all aspects of the chemical research industry such as government, academia, sales, marketing, and law. They can also be employed on a full-time or part-time basis working in the chemical industry, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, private consulting labs as well as food and waste management industries. They may also be employed by vendors of chemical instrumentation. They may also work in manufacturing plants where they are exposed to noise and other hazards. Some chemical analysts can also be employed to work in offices where they may utilize sometimes writing reports and also drafting proposals. Many chemical analysts work for forty hours per week but some can work for extended hours to meet up with the demand of their job.
Chemical Analyst Salary Scale
The salary of a chemical analyst varies across different countries such as:
- In the United States, The average chemistry lab analyst salary in the USA is $39,488 per year or $20.25 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $39,000 per year while most professional workers make up to $51,558 per year.
- In the United Kingdom, The average analytical chemist’s salary in the United Kingdom is £28,027 per year or £14.37 per hour. Entry-level positions start at £24,536 per year while most professional workers make up to £37,500 per year.
- In Canada, The average chemical analyst salary in Canada is $33,150 per year or $17 per hour. Entry-level positions start their career at $28,568 per year, while most professional workers make up to $54,113 per year.
- In South Africa, The average Chemical analyst salary in South Africa is R 204 300 per year or R 105 per hour. Entry-level positions start their career at R 199 575 per year, while most professional workers make up to R 348 000 per year.
- In the Philippines, The average pay for a Chemical Analyst is PHP 432,620 a year and PHP 208 per hour. The average salary range for a Chemical Analyst is between PHP 317,976 and PHP 514,386.