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The differences between assay development scientists and staff scientists 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 staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, 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 staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Assay Development Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $75,782 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $36.43 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 95,381 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
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.
Assay development scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assay Development Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $75,782 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $113,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assay development scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Assay Development Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between assay development scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Assay Development Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |