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The differences between pharmaceutical scientists and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pharmaceutical scientist, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a pharmaceutical scientist has an average salary of $79,535, which is higher than the $62,780 average annual salary of an assistant research scientist.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical scientist include dosage forms, pharmaceutical sciences and formulation development. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $79,535 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $38.24 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 45,560 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Pharmaceutical scientists must have master's degrees or doctorates in pharmacology, chemistry, biology, anatomy, or math. Paid around $86K per year, those who choose this career path perform drug discovery research, development, and testing. They also execute experiments for system-based research projects aimed at introducing new drugs to the marketplace.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Pharmaceutical scientists and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $79,535 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $115,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | BASi | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Education |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical scientist and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Pharmacy | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical scientists' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |