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The differences between development 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 development scientist and a postdoctoral associate. Additionally, a development scientist has an average salary of $92,514, which is higher than the $54,350 average annual salary of a postdoctoral associate.
The top three skills for a development scientist include chemistry, data analysis and GMP. The most important skills for a postdoctoral associate are patients, TIP, and data analysis.
| Development Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $92,514 | $54,350 |
| Hourly rate | $44.48 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 92,039 | 18,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Companies with a manufacturing arm usually employ Development Scientists. They are responsible for studying the company's processes and products and conducting research on improving these. They work on new strategies to make production and manufacturing more efficient. They also conduct feasibility studies to ensure that the strategies they come up with are effective and analyze the results of such studies. They then present these findings to their colleagues and develop implementation strategies for smoother streamlining of new processes.
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.
Development scientists and postdoctoral associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Development Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average salary | $92,514 | $54,350 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $124,000 | Between $39,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a development scientist and a postdoctoral associate in terms of educational background:
| Development Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between development scientists' and postdoctoral associates' demographics:
| Development Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% 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% |