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The differences between chief scientists and postdoctoral research 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 research associate. Additionally, a chief scientist has an average salary of $108,046, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.
The top three skills for a chief scientist include DOD, RF and IC. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $108,046 | $52,785 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $25.38 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 60,741 | 59,377 |
| 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 research associate is responsible for assisting the educational institution's research department, writing research reports, analyzing research methods, and collecting information and related studies to support the research claims. Postdoctoral research associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, reporting research updates to the research head, performing adjustments as needed, and gaining more expertise on the subject by brainstorming and discussing strategic procedures for the study. They may also conduct field investigation or coordinate with other institutions for additional reference, depending on the research's scope and limitation.
Chief scientists and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $108,046 | $52,785 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $168,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Memphis, TN |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a chief scientist and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Research 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 research associates' demographics:
| Chief Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% |
| 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, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |