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Director of cell biology vs principal scientist

The differences between directors of cell biology and principal 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 a principal scientist. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $79,225 average annual salary of a director of cell biology.

The top three skills for a director of cell biology include cell biology, cell culture and cell-based assays. The most important skills for a principal scientist are oncology, data analysis, and drug discovery.

Director of cell biology vs principal scientist overview

Director Of Cell BiologyPrincipal Scientist
Yearly salary$79,225$119,982
Hourly rate$38.09$57.68
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs20,93480,899
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

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 a principal scientist do?

A Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.

Director of cell biology vs principal scientist salary

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

Director Of Cell BiologyPrincipal Scientist
Average salary$79,225$119,982
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $124,000Between $84,000 And $169,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateTennesseeCalifornia
Best paying companyWestern DigitalPayPal
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalFinance

Differences between director of cell biology and principal scientist education

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

Director Of Cell BiologyPrincipal Scientist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaDuke University

Director of cell biology vs principal scientist demographics

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

Director Of Cell BiologyPrincipal Scientist
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 59.0% Female, 41.0%Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between director of cell biology and principal 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.
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Principal scientist example responsibilities.

  • Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
  • Provide development of and line support for assign immunoassay reagents, calibrators and controls.
  • Transfer controls to manufacturing for product launch and include all require studies, testing and documentation under GMP guidelines.
  • Maintain several lab documents for ISO certification.
  • Understand drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics and design stable molecules.
  • Image visualization and manipulation of background plates for animation and post-processing.
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Director of cell biology vs principal 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 principal scientist skills
  • Oncology, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Drug Discovery, 5%
  • GMP, 3%
  • Experimental Design, 3%
  • Clinical Trials, 3%

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