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The differences between health researchers 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 health researcher and a medical science liaison. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $83,787 average annual salary of a health researcher.
The top three skills for a health researcher include health services, data collection and data analysis. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.
| Health Researcher | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Yearly salary | $83,787 | $145,718 |
| Hourly rate | $40.28 | $70.06 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 53,504 | 57,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A health researcher is responsible for analyzing materials and publications and develop efficient research methodologies to support the analysis within the health industry. Health researchers review the current health trends, identify risks that may put public health in jeopardy, and coordinating with medical health professionals for in-depth investigation of diseases. They also assist laboratory technicians in performing examinations according to the research findings, proposing treatment plans, and improving diagnosing methods. A health researcher may present the study with different institutions, including the government, and recommend ways to minimize public health risk.
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.
Health researchers and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Researcher | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average salary | $83,787 | $145,718 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $122,000 | Between $59,000 And $359,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Jackson, TN |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Tennessee |
| Best paying company | Apple | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a health researcher and a medical science liaison in terms of educational background:
| Health Researcher | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between health researchers' and medical science liaisons' demographics:
| Health Researcher | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.5% 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% |