Medical researcher vs senior scientist

The differences between medical researchers and senior 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 medical researcher and a senior scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, 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 senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.

Medical researcher vs senior scientist overview

	Medical Researcher	Senior Scientist
Yearly salary	$61,177	$106,672
Hourly rate	$29.41	$51.28
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	51,264	49,712
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Medical researcher vs senior scientist salary

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

	Medical Researcher	Senior Scientist
Average salary	$61,177	$106,672
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $106,000	Between $74,000 And $153,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Rose Medical Center	Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between medical researcher and senior scientist education

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

	Medical Researcher	Senior Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Medical researcher vs senior scientist demographics

Here are the differences between medical researchers' and senior scientists' demographics:

	Medical Researcher	Senior Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between medical researcher and senior scientist 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.

Senior scientist example responsibilities.

Lead the development and implementation of new technology for use in NMR applications.
Strategize and manage the PK/PD program with internal collaborations including chemistry, DMPK, formulation and toxicology.
Lead a team and develop a 24-channel GC parallel separation system for high throughput screening of catalysts.
Lead a team of 11 direct reports and 35 indirect reports to solve development problems for multicapillary electrophoresis instruments.
Influence and impact others through building and maintaining strong networks that are leverage to obtain critical information and accomplish objectives.
Manage collaborations with external CROs.

Medical researcher vs senior scientist skills

Common medical researcher skills

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

Common senior scientist skills

Patients, 11%
Data Analysis, 6%
Molecular Biology, 3%
Research Projects, 3%
C++, 3%
Java, 3%

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Medical Researcher vs Senior Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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