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The differences between post-doctoral scientists and 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 post-doctoral scientist and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $58,490 average annual salary of a post-doctoral scientist.
The top three skills for a post-doctoral scientist include research projects, molecular biology and PI. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $58,490 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $28.12 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 57,376 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A post-doctoral scientist is responsible for conducting more complex research studies to gain knowledge and expertise on scientific methodologies and investigations. Post-doctoral scientists collect materials and components for the examination that would support their scientific claims. They perform field investigations, interview participants, and write accurate reports for reference. A post-doctoral scientist must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, as well as an interest in discoveries and science nature that would play a vital role in the research development.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Post-doctoral scientists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $58,490 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $78,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a post-doctoral scientist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between post-doctoral scientists' and scientists' demographics:
| Post-Doctoral Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 33.1% White, 46.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |