Director of cell biology vs associate scientist

The differences between directors of cell biology and associate 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 director of cell biology and an associate scientist. Additionally, a director of cell biology has an average salary of $79,225, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.

The top three skills for a director of cell biology include cell biology, cell culture and cell-based assays. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.

Director of cell biology vs associate scientist overview

	Director Of Cell Biology	Associate Scientist
Yearly salary	$79,225	$76,461
Hourly rate	$38.09	$36.76
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	20,934	54,950
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a director of cell biology do?

A director of cell biology is responsible for leading the monoclonal antibody group in immunoassay re-design for product integrity. You will oversee the initial research and development stage of the proprietary molecular detection devices and train all team members on becoming compliant with good laboratory practice. In addition, you will be responsible for executing small- and full-scale cell line development projects and developing ELISA methods for monitoring pollutants. You are also responsible for advising the senior management team on competing products and technologies.

What does an associate scientist do?

An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.

Director of cell biology vs associate scientist salary

Directors of cell biology and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Cell Biology	Associate Scientist
Average salary	$79,225	$76,461
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $124,000	Between $53,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Tennessee	California
Best paying company	Western Digital	Phillips 66
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Manufacturing

Differences between director of cell biology and associate scientist education

There are a few differences between a director of cell biology and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Cell Biology	Associate Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Director of cell biology vs associate scientist demographics

Here are the differences between directors of cell biology' and associate scientists' demographics:

	Director Of Cell Biology	Associate Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%	Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.6% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between director of cell biology and associate scientist duties and responsibilities

Director of cell biology example responsibilities.

Lead the FDA audit of the facility as ChanTest quality representative for the site.
Process, analyze and upload HTS data that lead to the discovery of new structural classes of small molecules.
Train all staff on becoming GLP compliant.
Develop ELISA methods to monitor priority pollutants for the EPA and commercial clients.
Learned and perform various techniques relate to ELISA assays, western-blot, protein purification, phage transduction of bacteria and phage-display.
Conduct product verification testing against the product requirements specification, developing essential documentation for European and FDA submissions.

Associate scientist example responsibilities.

Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
Generate crispr knockout STAT1, STAT3 and STAT1 & 3double knockout cell lines.
Use CRISPR technology to create target knockout cell line.
Direct ISO 9000 4.10 team registration activities and perform internal audits.
Prepare stock reagents and buffers for use in manufacturing assay kits.
Confirm the quality of product meet specifications according to cGMP and ICH guidelines.

Director of cell biology vs associate scientist skills

Common director of cell biology skills

Cell Biology, 16%
Cell Culture, 10%
Cell-Based Assays, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
Drug Discovery, 5%
Cell Lines, 4%

Common associate scientist skills

Chemistry, 9%
Patients, 8%
Cell Culture, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
GMP, 4%
Lab Equipment, 3%

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Director Of Cell Biology
Director Of Cell Biology vs Associate Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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