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Biological scientist vs staff scientist

The differences between biological scientists and staff scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $67,631 average annual salary of a biological scientist.

The top three skills for a biological scientist include data analysis, cell culture and RNA. The most important skills for a staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.

Biological scientist vs staff scientist overview

Biological ScientistStaff Scientist
Yearly salary$67,631$93,941
Hourly rate$32.51$45.16
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs51,327121,054
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4041
Years of experience-4

What does a biological scientist do?

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.

What does a staff scientist do?

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.

Biological scientist vs staff scientist salary

Biological scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Biological ScientistStaff Scientist
Average salary$67,631$93,941
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $107,000Between $63,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARedwood City, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companySchrödingerEtsy
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalTechnology

Differences between biological scientist and staff scientist education

There are a few differences between a biological scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:

Biological ScientistStaff Scientist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeCornell UniversityDuke University

Biological scientist vs staff scientist demographics

Here are the differences between biological scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:

Biological ScientistStaff Scientist
Average age4041
Gender ratioMale, 46.1% Female, 53.9%Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage10%8%

Differences between biological scientist and staff scientist duties and responsibilities

Biological scientist example responsibilities.

  • Lead protein biochemistry efforts for nuclear receptor group and develop bioassays and initiate new approaches.
  • Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
  • Perform high molecular weight DNA extraction from bacterial cells using microbiology and molecular biology methods.
  • Provide technical/analytical inputs for the responses to FDA comments.
  • Give final presentation via PowerPoint to peers and advisors.
  • Characterize CMC drug substances for potency using in vitro effector function assay.
  • Show more

Staff scientist example responsibilities.

  • Lead efforts to replace a critical radioactive immunoassay with a non-radioactive format to measure clinical samples.
  • Manage clinical sample testing using MSD and ELISA in LIMS, including data review and approval using LIMS.
  • Assist in managing and maintenance of HPLC and Prep-HPLC systems to ensure maximum productivity for the process development group.
  • Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
  • Assist with RNA and DNA extractions from FFPE tissue and blood.
  • Supervise temps performing HPLC assays and validations during development and production campaigns under GMP conditions.
  • Show more

Biological scientist vs staff scientist skills

Common biological scientist skills
  • Data Analysis, 9%
  • Cell Culture, 7%
  • RNA, 5%
  • Cell-Based Assays, 5%
  • Technical Reports, 5%
  • Western Blotting, 4%
Common staff scientist skills
  • Data Analysis, 9%
  • Research Projects, 7%
  • Molecular Biology, 5%
  • Next-Generation Sequencing, 4%
  • Statistical Analysis, 4%
  • RNA, 4%

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