Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between field applications scientists and postdoctoral research 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 field applications scientist and a postdoctoral research associate. Additionally, a field applications scientist has an average salary of $101,706, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.
The top three skills for a field applications scientist include post sales, next-generation sequencing and pre sales. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.
| Field Applications Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $101,706 | $52,785 |
| Hourly rate | $48.90 | $25.38 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 105,557 | 59,377 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| 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 postdoctoral research associate is responsible for assisting the educational institution's research department, writing research reports, analyzing research methods, and collecting information and related studies to support the research claims. Postdoctoral research associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, reporting research updates to the research head, performing adjustments as needed, and gaining more expertise on the subject by brainstorming and discussing strategic procedures for the study. They may also conduct field investigation or coordinate with other institutions for additional reference, depending on the research's scope and limitation.
Field applications scientists and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Applications Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $101,706 | $52,785 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $142,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Memphis, TN |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | 10x Genomics | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a field applications scientist and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:
| Field Applications Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between field applications scientists' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:
| Field Applications Scientist | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% |
| 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, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |