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The differences between chief science officers and technical managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a chief science officer, becoming a technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a chief science officer has an average salary of $126,094, which is higher than the $116,619 average annual salary of a technical manager.
The top three skills for a chief science officer include R, business strategy and oversight. The most important skills for a technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.
| Chief Science Officer | Technical Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $126,094 | $116,619 |
| Hourly rate | $60.62 | $56.07 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,119 | 116,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
Chief Science Officers are responsible for leading the scientific operations of an organization. Their duties include developing scientific strategies, directing clinical trial designs, implementing research processes, and communicating the scientific vision to investors and senior management. Besides that, they are involved in managing the scientific budget, identifying research opportunities, and fostering scientific partnerships with key stakeholders. Chief Science Officers are also involved in creating research programs, track research milestones, and source for funding channels. They produce research and development reports and provide mentorship to the research team.
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
Chief science officers and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Science Officer | Technical Manager | |
| Average salary | $126,094 | $116,619 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $190,000 | Between $84,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Community Health Systems | A.T. Kearney |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a chief science officer and a technical manager in terms of educational background:
| Chief Science Officer | Technical Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between chief science officers' and technical managers' demographics:
| Chief Science Officer | Technical Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |