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The differences between pharmaceutical scientists 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 $79,535 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical scientist.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical scientist include dosage forms, pharmaceutical sciences and formulation development. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Doctor | |
| Yearly salary | $79,535 | $208,582 |
| Hourly rate | $38.24 | $100.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 45,560 | 14,571 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
Pharmaceutical scientists and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Doctor | |
| Average salary | $79,535 | $208,582 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $115,000 | Between $106,000 And $408,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | California | Ohio |
| Best paying company | BASi | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical scientist and a doctor in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Doctor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Pharmacy | Medicine |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical scientists' and doctors' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | Doctor | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% |
| 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, 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% |