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Postdoc fellow vs associate scientist

The differences between postdoc fellows and associate 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 postdoc fellow and an associate scientist. Additionally, an associate scientist has an average salary of $76,461, which is higher than the $58,376 average annual salary of a postdoc fellow.

The top three skills for a postdoc fellow include molecular biology, data analysis and CRISPR. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.

Postdoc fellow vs associate scientist overview

Postdoc FellowAssociate Scientist
Yearly salary$58,376$76,461
Hourly rate$28.07$36.76
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs8,49954,950
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

Postdoc fellow vs associate scientist salary

Postdoc fellows and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Postdoc FellowAssociate Scientist
Average salary$58,376$76,461
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $80,000Between $53,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityBurlingame, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiCalifornia
Best paying companyTRI-ADPhillips 66
Best paying industryProfessionalManufacturing

Differences between postdoc fellow and associate scientist education

There are a few differences between a postdoc fellow and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:

Postdoc FellowAssociate Scientist
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorChemistryBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Postdoc fellow vs associate scientist demographics

Here are the differences between postdoc fellows' and associate scientists' demographics:

Postdoc FellowAssociate Scientist
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 71.1% Female, 28.9%Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 45.5% White, 39.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between postdoc fellow and associate scientist duties and responsibilities

Postdoc fellow example responsibilities.

  • Collaborate with software engineers to automate identification of 15N- and 13C- labele LC-MS features.
  • Perform expression profiling on primary promyelocyte samples and identify candidate genes that may be involve in SCN pathogenesis and malignant transformation.
  • Investigate chromatid orientation through immunofluorescence.

Associate scientist example responsibilities.

  • Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
  • Generate crispr knockout STAT1, STAT3 and STAT1 & 3double knockout cell lines.
  • Use CRISPR technology to create target knockout cell line.
  • Direct ISO 9000 4.10 team registration activities and perform internal audits.
  • Prepare stock reagents and buffers for use in manufacturing assay kits.
  • Confirm the quality of product meet specifications according to cGMP and ICH guidelines.
  • Show more

Postdoc fellow vs associate scientist skills

Common postdoc fellow skills
  • Molecular Biology, 15%
  • Data Analysis, 10%
  • CRISPR, 9%
  • Python, 9%
  • Chemistry, 8%
  • Conduct Research, 7%
Common associate scientist skills
  • Chemistry, 9%
  • Patients, 8%
  • Cell Culture, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • GMP, 4%
  • Lab Equipment, 3%

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