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The differences between chief scientists and postdoctoral associates 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 a postdoctoral associate. Additionally, a chief scientist has an average salary of $108,046, which is higher than the $54,350 average annual salary of a postdoctoral associate.
The top three skills for a chief scientist include DOD, RF and IC. The most important skills for a postdoctoral associate are patients, TIP, and data analysis.
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $108,046 | $54,350 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 60,741 | 18,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| 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.
A postdoctoral associate is responsible for researching to support scientific claims and theories by collecting evidence and information to answer scientific questions. Postdoctoral associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to interact with people and document investigation findings. They also utilize laboratory tools and equipment for scientific researches, conduct field investigations, and interview participants. A postdoctoral associate designs comprehensive research models to discuss results with the panel and the team efficiently and accurately.
Chief scientists and postdoctoral associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average salary | $108,046 | $54,350 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $168,000 | Between $39,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maine |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a chief scientist and a postdoctoral associate in terms of educational background:
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Physics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between chief scientists' and postdoctoral associates' demographics:
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| 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, 5.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 39.4% White, 42.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |