Associate staff scientist vs postdoctoral research associate

The differences between associate staff scientists and postdoctoral research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate staff scientist and a postdoctoral research associate. Additionally, an associate staff scientist has an average salary of $88,792, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.

The top three skills for an associate staff scientist include FDA, sops and cellular assays. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.

Associate staff scientist vs postdoctoral research associate overview

	Associate Staff Scientist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Yearly salary	$88,792	$52,785
Hourly rate	$42.69	$25.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	111,254	59,377
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Associate staff scientist vs postdoctoral research associate salary

Associate staff scientists and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate Staff Scientist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average salary	$88,792	$52,785
Salary range	Between $62,000 And $126,000	Between $38,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	San Carlos, CA	Memphis, TN
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Hawaii
Best paying company	SAS Institute	Argonne National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between associate staff scientist and postdoctoral research associate education

There are a few differences between an associate staff scientist and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:

	Associate Staff Scientist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Associate staff scientist vs postdoctoral research associate demographics

Here are the differences between associate staff scientists' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:

	Associate Staff Scientist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9%	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between associate staff scientist and postdoctoral research associate duties and responsibilities

Associate staff scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Process client samples requiring DNA purification and DNA characterization.
Perform sequencing and real time PCR.
Conduct research on global regulatory networks using mutagenesis and DNA microarray techniques.
Conduct behavioral neurobiology pharmaceutical research including data analysis, record keeping following FDA regulations.
Key activities include process chemistry development, synthesis of intermediates, compound purification and structure identification, and comprehensive scientific documentation.

Postdoctoral research associate example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Transfect 293-T cells with CRISPR constructs.
Execute parallel synthesis on both solution and solid phase to develop library of compounds.
Diagnose and resolve all instruments during breakdown (GC/MS/MS, GC/ECD, UV-Vis).
Develop python codes to efficiently handle multiple read/unread, flag/unflag, and delete operations on emails.
Characterize particles using DLS and UV-vis spectrophotometer to measure particle sizes and detect oxide layer, respectively.

Associate staff scientist vs postdoctoral research associate skills

Common associate staff scientist skills

FDA, 68%
Sops, 8%
Cellular Assays, 8%
DNA, 6%
Data Collection, 5%
PCR, 5%

Common postdoctoral research associate skills

Python, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Post-Doctoral, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Associate Staff Scientist
Associate Staff Scientist vs Postdoctoral Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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