Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between materials scientists and staff 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 materials scientist and a staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $84,459 average annual salary of a materials scientist.
The top three skills for a materials scientist include polymer, SEM and materials characterization. The most important skills for a staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Materials Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,459 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $40.61 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 46,795 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A materials scientist is responsible for evaluating scientific properties, investigating chemical solutions and structures, and analyzing the components of natural materials. Materials scientists perform data analysis using scientific methods and operating different laboratory tools and equipment to develop entirely new scientific discoveries that would benefit various market industries for production. They also validate their findings by researching existing cases or coordinating with science experts to support their claims. A materials scientist creates a comprehensive report, including its scope and benefits for society.
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Materials scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $84,459 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $119,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Materials Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between materials scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Materials Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 29.6% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |