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The differences between assay development scientists and medical science liaisons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assay development scientist and a medical science liaison. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $75,782 average annual salary of an assay development scientist.
The top three skills for an assay development scientist include assay development, cell-based assays and data analysis. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.
| Assay Development Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Yearly salary | $75,782 | $145,718 |
| Hourly rate | $36.43 | $70.06 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 95,381 | 57,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Assay development scientists are biochemical experts who develop procedures that test or measure the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism. These scientists are required to provide technical support to develop new assays as well as assist in the transfer of assay to clinical laboratories internationally. They must collaborate with laboratory scientists and managers to optimize laboratory processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Assay development scientists must also produce and submit reports about the development of assays to the research & development (R&D;) managers as well as project managers.
A medical science liaison (MSL) is a scientific professional who facilitates a working relationship between healthcare companies and leading physicians, researchers, and clinicians. Also referred to as key opinion leaders (KOL), medical science liaisons represent their company to the decision-makers in the medical community as well as to investors and government regulatory agencies. They analyze clinical trends and monitor the scientific literature for new developments in the medical community. Medical science liaisons also prepare medical samples and data to investigate the causes of chronic diseases, pathogens, and toxicity.
Assay development scientists and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assay Development Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average salary | $75,782 | $145,718 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $113,000 | Between $59,000 And $359,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jackson, TN |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Tennessee |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an assay development scientist and a medical science liaison in terms of educational background:
| Assay Development Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between assay development scientists' and medical science liaisons' demographics:
| Assay Development Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 29.0% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 23.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |