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The differences between chief scientists and chief scientific officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a chief scientist, becoming a chief scientific officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief scientist has an average salary of $108,046, which is higher than the $103,182 average annual salary of a chief scientific officer.
The top three skills for a chief scientist include DOD, RF and IC. The most important skills for a chief scientific officer are R, chemistry, and business development.
| Chief Scientist | Chief Scientific Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,046 | $103,182 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $49.61 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,741 | 66,518 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 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.
Chief scientific officers are executives who manage a company's scientific, technological, and research operations. They are professionals who ensure that an organization's scientific and research facilities' primary concern aligns with the mission and vision they agreed on. These officers meet with other branches of the company to maintain their connections within the government and industry. To be successful in this position, these officers hone their scientific expertise and leadership skills. They also make formal presentations at medical or scientific meetings on behalf of their company.
Chief scientists and chief scientific officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Scientist | Chief Scientific Officer | |
| Average salary | $108,046 | $103,182 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $168,000 | Between $59,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a chief scientist and a chief scientific officer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Scientist | Chief Scientific Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Physics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between chief scientists' and chief scientific officers' demographics:
| Chief Scientist | Chief Scientific Officer | |
| Average age | 41 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5% |
| 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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |