Postdoc fellow vs scientist

The differences between postdoc fellows 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 postdoc fellow and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, 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 a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.

Postdoc fellow vs scientist overview

	Postdoc Fellow	Scientist
Yearly salary	$58,376	$97,344
Hourly rate	$28.07	$46.80
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	8,499	62,467
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Postdoc fellow vs scientist salary

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

	Postdoc Fellow	Scientist
Average salary	$58,376	$97,344
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $80,000	Between $67,000 And $140,000
Highest paying City	Burlingame, CA	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	TRI-AD	Airbnb
Best paying industry	Professional	Technology

Differences between postdoc fellow and scientist education

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

	Postdoc Fellow	Scientist
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Postdoc fellow vs scientist demographics

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

	Postdoc Fellow	Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	Black 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, 6.5% 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%

Differences between postdoc fellow and 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.

Scientist example responsibilities.

Lead a cross-functional team to return an HIV combination product to market on random-access instrument.
Design the VERIS HIV-1 quantitative PCR assay which achieve Conformit Europ enne (CE) marking.
Manage an elemental analytical laboratory that include operating, maintaining and troubleshooting an ICP-OES, ICPMS, MXRF, and IC.
Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.

Postdoc fellow vs scientist skills

Common postdoc fellow skills

Molecular Biology, 15%
Data Analysis, 10%
CRISPR, 9%
Python, 9%
Chemistry, 8%
Conduct Research, 7%

Common scientist skills

Chemistry, 9%
Data Analysis, 7%
Patients, 7%
Molecular Biology, 4%
Cell Culture, 4%
Java, 3%

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Postdoc Fellow
Postdoc Fellow vs Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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