Junior research fellow vs research specialist

The differences between junior research fellows and research specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a junior research fellow, becoming a research specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a junior research fellow has an average salary of $64,677, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a research specialist.

The top three skills for a junior research fellow include cell culture, R and molecular techniques. The most important skills for a research specialist are data collection, patients, and research projects.

Junior research fellow vs research specialist overview

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Specialist
Yearly salary	$64,677	$52,662
Hourly rate	$31.09	$25.32
Growth rate	17%	19%
Number of jobs	61,504	79,341
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	41	37
Years of experience	4	6

Junior research fellow vs research specialist salary

Junior research fellows and research specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Specialist
Average salary	$64,677	$52,662
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $90,000	Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Colfax Corporation	Novartis
Best paying industry	Professional	Technology

Differences between junior research fellow and research specialist education

There are a few differences between a junior research fellow and a research specialist in terms of educational background:

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Georgia

Junior research fellow vs research specialist demographics

Here are the differences between junior research fellows' and research specialists' demographics:

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Specialist
Average age	41	37
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 37.3% White, 43.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between junior research fellow and research specialist duties and responsibilities

Junior research fellow example responsibilities.

Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Work on synthesis of D-Serine from N-Acetyl-D-glucose using microorganisms, immobilize enzymes, and microbial cells in the key steps.
Estimate cytokines levels in human patient samples using ELISA methodology.
Assist in routine analysis using radio immuno assays such as ELISA.
Involve in the multi-step synthesis of bio-active natural products and also involve in the development of novel synthetic methodologies.
Construct a preliminary testing platform for a collaborative $3MM NSF grant between biology and electrical engineering exploring molecular communication theory.

Research specialist example responsibilities.

Manage both GLP and non-GLP studies that are contracted to CROs.
Create weekly presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and manage monthly board meetings.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Assist in surgical procedures on both rabbits and rats to obtain tissue specimens for RNA isolation for subsequent RT-PCR
Perform and supervise applied bench scale and pilot scale process research on extraction, distillation, and reaction processes.
Perform the timely and accurate execution of CESG protocols, procedures and results within the cloning and crystallography teams.

Junior research fellow vs research specialist skills

Common junior research fellow skills

Cell Culture, 8%
R, 7%
Molecular Techniques, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Research Projects, 5%

Common research specialist skills

Data Collection, 7%
Patients, 7%
Research Projects, 7%
Data Analysis, 5%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Cell Culture, 4%

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Junior Research Fellow
Junior Research Fellow vs Research Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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