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What does a junior scientist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Betsy Smith

A junior scientist is in charge of conducting research and scientific studies while under the supervision of a more experienced scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around gathering and preparing samples, performing experiments and analysis, coordinating with other experts, recording all progress, reviewing results, and summarizing findings into reports and presentations. In a company setting, a junior scientist must adhere to deadlines and budgets, submitting results to senior scientists and managers. Furthermore, it is essential to uphold the policies and regulations of laboratories to maintain a safe and productive work environment.

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Junior scientist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real junior scientist resumes:

  • Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
  • Manufacture supplies for GLP toxicology studies while audit by quality unit.
  • Develop laboratory protocols for genetic extraction/gel electrophoresis.
  • Develop and validate immunoassay methods for the quantitative analysis of proteins.
  • Lead scientist/project manager responsible for developing novel diagnostic genetic and immunoassay base tools to address mechanistic issues and improve pipeline efficiency.

Junior scientist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Junior Scientists are proficient in Lab Equipment, Literature, and Data Analysis.

We break down the percentage of Junior Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Lab Equipment, 18%

    Performed the validation tests for lab equipment, maintained the inventory of chemicals, equipment, and laboratory supplies

  • Literature, 13%

    Assembled materials from specialized literature, interviews and government documents

  • Data Analysis, 8%

    Managed information and time to contribute data analysis and scientific writing to 2co-author publications within an 8-month period.

  • GMP, 7%

    Program Coordinator at GMP facility for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients laboratory.

  • Experimental Design, 6%

    Experience with all facets of research: proposal writing, protocol development, experimental design, analysis and implications of results.

  • Cell Culture Techniques, 5%

    Trained laboratory staff and scientists in several laboratories on adult stem cell isolation, cell culture techniques, and cells banking.

"lab equipment," "literature," and "data analysis" are among the most common skills that junior scientists use at work. You can find even more junior scientist responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a junior scientist to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what junior scientists do because "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." Additionally, a junior scientist resume shows how junior scientists use communication skills: "facilitated communication and interaction amongst functional representatives as delegated by the principal investigator for research projects. "

Observation skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling junior scientist duties is observation skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." According to a junior scientist resume, here's how junior scientists can utilize observation skills in their job responsibilities: "monitored field of expertise, including literature and technology development, and communicates relevant observations regarding cell culture and technology advantages. "

All junior scientist skills

The three companies that hire the most junior scientists are:

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Compare different junior scientists

Junior scientist vs. Chemistry laboratory assistant

Chemical Laboratory Assistants are professionals who help researchers and scientists in performing lab experiments and tests. Their tasks involve the maintenance, cleanliness, or sterilization of laboratory equipment or instruments. They perform physical or chemical laboratory tests assisting scientists in the quantitative or qualitative analyses of liquids, gaseous materials, and solids. The necessary skills and knowledge for this job include chemistry, lab reporting, chemical solutions, and safety procedures.

We looked at the average junior scientist salary and compared it with the wages of a chemistry laboratory assistant. Generally speaking, chemistry laboratory assistants are paid $32,198 lower than junior scientists per year.Even though junior scientists and chemistry laboratory assistants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require lab equipment, pcr, and electrophoresis in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between junior scientists and chemistry laboratory assistant. For instance, junior scientist responsibilities require skills such as "literature," "data analysis," "gmp," and "experimental design." Whereas a chemistry laboratory assistant is skilled in "lab safety," "chemistry lab," "lab experiments," and "lab reports." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Chemistry laboratory assistants tend to make the most money working in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,906. In contrast, junior scientists make the biggest average salary, $75,416, in the education industry.chemistry laboratory assistants tend to reach lower levels of education than junior scientists. In fact, chemistry laboratory assistants are 14.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Junior scientist vs. Research associate

A research associate is responsible for assisting the research team, organizing and interpreting findings, and verifying information before presenting the study to the board. Research associates duties also include gathering and comparing data from multiple sources, analyzing the current industry trends, creating draft outlines for reports, collecting individual contacts for interview purposes, and helping with the development of research procedures. A research associate must have excellent time-management skills and ability to multi-task, especially on meeting strict deadlines and conducting studies.

On average, research associates earn a $3,003 lower salary than junior scientists a year.A few skills overlap for junior scientists and research associates. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "lab equipment," "data analysis," and "gmp. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, junior scientist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "literature," "cell culture techniques," "pcr," and "molecular biology experiments." Meanwhile, a research associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "cell culture," "chemistry," and "laboratory equipment." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, research associates earn a lower salary than junior scientists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, research associates earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $84,005. Whereas junior scientists have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $75,416.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research associates tend to reach similar levels of education than junior scientists. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for junior scientists in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Betsy SmithDr. Betsy Smith LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

Honestly, I think anytime a scientist tries to predict what will be "big" in a few years, they're likely to fail. That said, I think there's a growing interest among consumers for more "green" products, so research into those areas will likely grow. For instance, we might see attempts to develop new plastics that are safer for the environment and humans, perhaps biodegradable. Organic chemistry traditionally uses harsh solvents and chemicals that are difficult to dispose of safely, so there is an effort to find alternatives to these. Analytical chemistry techniques for separating and identifying compounds, like GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), will likely continue to be necessary. CRISPR, the relatively new gene-editing technology, is likely to become even more widely used on the biochemistry side of things.

Junior scientist vs. Chemical technician

A chemical technician is responsible for supporting chemists and laboratory technicians in performing laboratory investigations and examining chemical components and structures. Chemical technicians ensure the stability of laboratory tools and equipment, performing proper sterilization and segregation of disposable materials, and maintaining the adequacy of inventory. They also record the research progress, including scientific methods, and write observation reports for reference. A chemical technician manages the cleanliness and orderliness of the facility to avoid potential hazards and complications during chemical operations.

On average scale, chemical technicians bring in lower salaries than junior scientists. In fact, they earn a $20,585 lower salary per year.By looking over several junior scientists and chemical technicians resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "lab equipment," "gmp," and "r." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from junior scientist resumes include skills like "literature," "data analysis," "experimental design," and "cell culture techniques," whereas a chemical technician is more likely to list skills in "safety procedures," "hazardous materials," "osha," and "math. "

Chemical technicians earn the best pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they command an average salary of $66,439. Junior scientists earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $75,416.When it comes to education, chemical technicians tend to earn lower degree levels compared to junior scientists. In fact, they're 15.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Junior scientist vs. Research assistant

Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.

Research assistants tend to earn a lower pay than junior scientists by an average of $20,273 per year.According to resumes from junior scientists and research assistants, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "lab equipment," "data analysis," and "experimental design. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A junior scientist uses "literature," "gmp," "cell culture techniques," and "pcr." Research assistants are more likely to have duties that require skills in "patients," "laboratory equipment," "cell culture," and "literature reviews. "research assistants enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $46,279. For comparison, junior scientists earn the highest salary in the education industry.The average resume of research assistants showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to junior scientists. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 4.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.7%.

Types of junior scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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