Biomedical scientist vs principal scientist

The differences between biomedical scientists and principal scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a biomedical scientist and a principal scientist. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $72,246 average annual salary of a biomedical scientist.

The top three skills for a biomedical scientist include biomedical, research program and extraction. The most important skills for a principal scientist are oncology, data analysis, and drug discovery.

Biomedical scientist vs principal scientist overview

	Biomedical Scientist	Principal Scientist
Yearly salary	$72,246	$119,982
Hourly rate	$34.73	$57.68
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	53,739	80,899
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a biomedical scientist do?

A biomedical scientist conducts studies to help doctors diagnose and treat various illnesses. They primarily work at laboratories where they gather and analyze samples through different laboratory procedures, perform experiments, utilize special tools and equipment, perform experiments, identify blood groups, and monitor the effect of medication and treatment on the patients. Through their research findings, a biomedical scientist interprets the results and produces written reports, all while maintaining extensive records of every procedure. Moreover, a biomedical scientist keeps a clear communication line with fellow scientists and staff for an efficient and successful workflow.

What does a principal scientist do?

A Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.

Biomedical scientist vs principal scientist salary

Biomedical scientists and principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Biomedical Scientist	Principal Scientist
Average salary	$72,246	$119,982
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $117,000	Between $84,000 And $169,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	California
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	PayPal
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between biomedical scientist and principal scientist education

There are a few differences between a biomedical scientist and a principal scientist in terms of educational background:

	Biomedical Scientist	Principal Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Biomedical scientist vs principal scientist demographics

Here are the differences between biomedical scientists' and principal scientists' demographics:

	Biomedical Scientist	Principal Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4%	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between biomedical scientist and principal scientist duties and responsibilities

Biomedical scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Invent SLOP-PCR and a novel fluorogenic probe for live-time PCR.
Prepare functional membranes from mammalian cells for high throughput assays.
Operate and perform quality assurance on large vault style autoclaves.
Provide CDMRP with custom meeting summary documents that meet their specific needs
Construct genomic libraries, sequence clones, devise sequence specific PCR primers.

Principal scientist example responsibilities.

Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
Provide development of and line support for assign immunoassay reagents, calibrators and controls.
Transfer controls to manufacturing for product launch and include all require studies, testing and documentation under GMP guidelines.
Maintain several lab documents for ISO certification.
Understand drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics and design stable molecules.
Image visualization and manipulation of background plates for animation and post-processing.

Biomedical scientist vs principal scientist skills

Common biomedical scientist skills

Biomedical, 56%
Research Program, 10%
Extraction, 5%
PCR, 4%
Sops, 4%
FDA, 3%

Common principal scientist skills

Oncology, 7%
Data Analysis, 6%
Drug Discovery, 5%
GMP, 3%
Experimental Design, 3%
Clinical Trials, 3%

Biomedical Scientist vs. similar jobs

Biomedical Scientist related careers

Biomedical Scientist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Biomedical Scientist
Biomedical Scientist vs Principal Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs