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The differences between field applications scientists and medical science liaisons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a field applications scientist and a medical science liaison. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $101,706 average annual salary of a field applications scientist.
The top three skills for a field applications scientist include post sales, next-generation sequencing and pre sales. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.
| Field Applications Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Yearly salary | $101,706 | $145,718 |
| Hourly rate | $48.90 | $70.06 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 105,557 | 57,208 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A field application scientist is responsible for assisting with customers' inquiries and concerns on scientific tools and laboratory equipment and machinery. Field application scientists guide the customers on proper usage of the equipment, as well as its maintenance and other related functions. They also create designs for experiment materials, running diagnostic tests, and writing specifications accurately. A field application scientist processes the installation of scientific equipment and manages feature upgrades to boost optimal performance and adhere to the customers' needs and demands.
A medical science liaison (MSL) is a scientific professional who facilitates a working relationship between healthcare companies and leading physicians, researchers, and clinicians. Also referred to as key opinion leaders (KOL), medical science liaisons represent their company to the decision-makers in the medical community as well as to investors and government regulatory agencies. They analyze clinical trends and monitor the scientific literature for new developments in the medical community. Medical science liaisons also prepare medical samples and data to investigate the causes of chronic diseases, pathogens, and toxicity.
Field applications scientists and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Applications Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average salary | $101,706 | $145,718 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $142,000 | Between $59,000 And $359,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jackson, TN |
| Highest paying state | California | Tennessee |
| Best paying company | 10x Genomics | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a field applications scientist and a medical science liaison in terms of educational background:
| Field Applications Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between field applications scientists' and medical science liaisons' demographics:
| Field Applications Scientist | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 25.4% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 23.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |