Genetic scientist vs laboratory researcher

The differences between genetic scientists and laboratory researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a genetic scientist and a laboratory researcher. Additionally, a genetic scientist has an average salary of $86,662, which is higher than the $27,760 average annual salary of a laboratory researcher.

The top three skills for a genetic scientist include next-generation sequencing, molecular biology and RNA. The most important skills for a laboratory researcher are lab procedures, cell culture, and molecular biology.

Genetic scientist vs laboratory researcher overview

	Genetic Scientist	Laboratory Researcher
Yearly salary	$86,662	$27,760
Hourly rate	$41.66	$13.35
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	44,179	57,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Genetic scientist vs laboratory researcher salary

Genetic scientists and laboratory researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Genetic Scientist	Laboratory Researcher
Average salary	$86,662	$27,760
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $125,000	Between $17,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Maine
Best paying company	23andMe	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between genetic scientist and laboratory researcher education

There are a few differences between a genetic scientist and a laboratory researcher in terms of educational background:

	Genetic Scientist	Laboratory Researcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Genetic scientist vs laboratory researcher demographics

Here are the differences between genetic scientists' and laboratory researchers' demographics:

	Genetic Scientist	Laboratory Researcher
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%	Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 27.9% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between genetic scientist and laboratory researcher duties and responsibilities

Genetic scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Create PCR assays by selecting primers, enzymes, establishing thermo-cycler protocols, and verifying results through electrophoresis and DNA ladders.
Key activities include process chemistry development, synthesis of intermediates, compound purification and structure identification, and comprehensive scientific documentation.
Evaluate patient samples to identify biomarkers providing the development of asthma patient stratification methods.

Laboratory researcher example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Plan to create apparatus and experimental procedure to enable selective extraction of DNA using surface chemistry.
Experience in conducting gel electrophoresis procedures.
Gel electrophoresis are used to analyze banding patterns.
Specialize in design and implementation of ELISA's for vaccine.
Analyze samples with advance instrumentation, including HPLC and UV-visible spectroscopy.

Genetic scientist vs laboratory researcher skills

Common genetic scientist skills

Next-Generation Sequencing, 25%
Molecular Biology, 19%
RNA, 12%
QC, 9%
Biological Sciences, 8%
Cell Culture, 7%

Common laboratory researcher skills

Lab Procedures, 10%
Cell Culture, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
PCR, 6%
Chemistry, 5%
R, 4%

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Genetic Scientist vs Laboratory Researcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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