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The differences between lead 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 lead scientist and a research fellow. Additionally, a lead scientist has an average salary of $110,028, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a lead scientist include C++, java and data analysis. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Lead Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $110,028 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $52.90 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,455 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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.
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.
Lead scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $110,028 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $153,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Cruz, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Tennessee | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | PayPal | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a lead scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Lead Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between lead scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Lead Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |