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The differences between cell technicians and research 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 cell technician and a research scientist. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $51,227 average annual salary of a cell technician.
The top three skills for a cell technician include harvest, CIP and cell culture. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Cell Technician | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,227 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $24.63 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 18,729 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Cell tower technicians are responsible for maintaining cell phone towers and keeping them in good working condition. They make sure that cell phones are receiving signals all the time without any lag or problem and that customers always have full bars. Their duties include repairing and restoring old materials and equipment, assessing functionality, building, returning, and setting up new towers, as well as consistent servicing and maintenance. Technician applicants are required to have a degree in electronics telecommunications and undergo job and safety training.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Cell technicians and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cell Technician | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $51,227 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $79,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | General Motors | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a cell technician and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Cell Technician | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between cell technicians' and research scientists' demographics:
| Cell Technician | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |