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The differences between junior research scientists and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a junior research scientist and a research fellow. Additionally, a junior research scientist has an average salary of $67,062, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a junior research scientist include python, PI and C++. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Junior Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $67,062 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $32.24 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 101,873 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior research scientist is responsible for evaluating and interpreting scientific results from laboratory investigations and experiments. Junior research scientists assist the senior scientists in gathering information to support research studies and claims. They perform both laboratory and field trials to collect samples for further examinations. A junior research scientist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing comprehensive reports, following accurate scientific methodologies, and submitting the research findings on time to the research supervisor.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Junior research scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $67,062 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $92,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Zappos.com | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a junior research scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Junior Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between junior research scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Junior Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |