Medical researcher vs doctor

The differences between medical researchers and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $61,177 average annual salary of a medical researcher.

The top three skills for a medical researcher include patients, statistical analysis and vital signs. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.

Medical researcher vs doctor overview

	Medical Researcher	Doctor
Yearly salary	$61,177	$208,582
Hourly rate	$29.41	$100.28
Growth rate	17%	7%
Number of jobs	51,264	14,571
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	41	48
Years of experience	4	-

Medical researcher vs doctor salary

Medical researchers and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Researcher	Doctor
Average salary	$61,177	$208,582
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $106,000	Between $106,000 And $408,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Green Bay, WI
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Ohio
Best paying company	Rose Medical Center	Saint Luke's Health System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical researcher and doctor education

There are a few differences between a medical researcher and a doctor in terms of educational background:

	Medical Researcher	Doctor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Biology	Medicine
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Medical researcher vs doctor demographics

Here are the differences between medical researchers' and doctors' demographics:

	Medical Researcher	Doctor
Average age	41	48
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	8%	13%

Differences between medical researcher and doctor duties and responsibilities

Medical researcher example responsibilities.

Create Linux shell scripts to automate common process which severely reduce manual work load and processing time for the entire lab.
Experience in quantifying RNA and protein (BCA method) as well as synthesizing complementary DNA from RNA.
Extract RNA and protein using TRIzol reagent.
Compose PowerPoint presentation providing in-depth explanation for lack of preliminary results, as well as proposed process resolution.
Adhere to strict turn-a-round deadlines and maintain confidential information by following proper ISO procedures.

Doctor example responsibilities.

Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
Hire, train, educate and monitor staff in HIPPA policies and procedures.
Create, update, and maintain confidential patient EHRs in compliance with all HIPAA laws and regulations.

Medical researcher vs doctor skills

Common medical researcher skills

Patients, 14%
Statistical Analysis, 11%
Vital Signs, 10%
Laboratory Practices, 8%
Clinical Research Studies, 8%
Research Projects, 7%

Common doctor skills

Patients, 33%
Customer Service, 12%
Emergency Medicine, 5%
Surgery, 5%
DR, 4%
Cleanliness, 3%

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Medical Researcher
Medical Researcher vs Doctor

Updated January 8, 2025

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