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The differences between postdoc research associates and medical science liaisons 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 research associate and a medical science liaison. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $56,259 average annual salary of a postdoc research associate.
The top three skills for a postdoc research associate include data analysis, mouse model and research projects. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Yearly salary | $56,259 | $145,718 |
| Hourly rate | $27.05 | $70.06 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,460 | 57,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Postdoc research associates are professionals who are responsible for assisting postdoctoral researchers in their research after completing doctoral studies. These associates must train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students with their ongoing research projects so that they can be completed on time. They are required to perform data analysis and should prepare scientific and technical reports that will be presented at scientific conferences. Postdoc research associates must also conduct literature reviews on topics such as government policy, economic impact analyses, and scientific journal articles.
A medical science liaison (MSL) is a scientific professional who facilitates a working relationship between healthcare companies and leading physicians, researchers, and clinicians. Also referred to as key opinion leaders (KOL), medical science liaisons represent their company to the decision-makers in the medical community as well as to investors and government regulatory agencies. They analyze clinical trends and monitor the scientific literature for new developments in the medical community. Medical science liaisons also prepare medical samples and data to investigate the causes of chronic diseases, pathogens, and toxicity.
Postdoc research associates and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average salary | $56,259 | $145,718 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $78,000 | Between $59,000 And $359,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Jackson, TN |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Tennessee |
| Best paying company | IBM | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a postdoc research associate and a medical science liaison in terms of educational background:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between postdoc research associates' and medical science liaisons' demographics:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Medical Science Liaison | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 45.4% White, 38.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 23.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |