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The differences between chief scientists and associate 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 chief scientist and an associate principal scientist. Additionally, an associate principal scientist has an average salary of $112,297, which is higher than the $108,046 average annual salary of a chief scientist.
The top three skills for a chief scientist include DOD, RF and IC. The most important skills for an associate principal scientist are data analysis, chemistry, and project management.
| Chief Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $108,046 | $112,297 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $53.99 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 60,741 | 82,048 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Chief scientists supervise, plan, and budget the funds for research activities to publish their discoveries with influential publication companies. By doing commentaries with the press and media, they spread their knowledge about science to the public. They are mentors or coaches to non-professional scientists and help them build a case to get their promotion. For their subordinates to feel motivated to reach their goals when working on research projects, chief scientists must maintain a professional, creative, but engaging environment.
Associate Principal Scientists are responsible for directing the operations of scientific research.They work with cross-functional teams in elaborating technical specifications, and they provide training and mentorship to staff. An associate principal scientist maintains clients' and projects' confidentiality and learns proactively to keep abreast of technological advancements.Other duties may include resolving conflicts within and between departments, monitoring project timeline and performance, supervising laboratory work, and ensuring accurate scientific report documentation.
Chief scientists and associate principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Average salary | $108,046 | $112,297 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $168,000 | Between $78,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | Schrödinger |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a chief scientist and an associate principal scientist in terms of educational background:
| Chief Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Physics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between chief scientists' and associate principal scientists' demographics:
| Chief Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |