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The differences between clinical scientists and senior 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 clinical scientist and a senior scientist. Additionally, a clinical scientist has an average salary of $122,388, which is higher than the $106,672 average annual salary of a senior scientist.
The top three skills for a clinical scientist include patients, informed consent and clinical operations. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Clinical Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $122,388 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $58.84 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 96,923 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A clinical scientist's duties depend on their line of work or place of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting experiments and research, gathering and preparing samples such as blood and tissues, analyzing and examining specimens through different processes, reviewing data and results, and coordinating with other scientists to develop medicines or treatments. They may also train new scientists, oversee assistants' performance, and maintain order in a laboratory. Furthermore, a clinical scientist may work in hospitals, clinics, private laboratories, learning institutions, or research facilities.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Clinical scientists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $122,388 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $94,000 And $157,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Indianapolis, IN | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Reata Pharmaceuticals | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a clinical scientist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical scientists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Clinical Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |