Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead scientists and associate scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead scientist and an associate scientist. Additionally, a lead scientist has an average salary of $110,028, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.
The top three skills for a lead scientist include C++, java and data analysis. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Lead Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $110,028 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $52.90 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,455 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lead scientist is primarily in charge of leading the efforts in conducting scientific studies within a particular program or project. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, delegating tasks, establishing guidelines, and overseeing the progress and performance of other scientists and workers in a laboratory. They may also liaise with clients and external parties, including the media. Furthermore, as a lead scientist, it is essential to encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the laboratory's safety policies and regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.
Lead scientists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $110,028 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $153,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Cruz, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Tennessee | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a lead scientist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Lead Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between lead scientists' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Lead Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |