Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between biological scientists and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a biological scientist has an average salary of $67,631, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a biological scientist include data analysis, cell culture and RNA. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Biological Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $67,631 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $32.51 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,327 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A biological scientist's duties will vary depending on one's industry of employment. Typically, they are responsible for studying and conducting research and analysis on living organisms, collaborating with fellow scientists, traveling to different areas, and keeping an accurate record of all observations, results, and processes. They must also prepare reports and presentations, reviewing them to ensure accuracy in every detail. Furthermore, a biological scientist may work in a laboratory setting or conduct lectures at an academic institution.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Biological scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biological Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $67,631 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $107,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Schrödinger | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a biological scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Biological Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between biological scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Biological Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 15.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |