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The differences between postdoc research associates and research fellows 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 research fellow. Additionally, a postdoc research associate has an average salary of $56,259, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a postdoc research associate include data analysis, mouse model and research projects. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $56,259 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $27.05 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,460 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Postdoc research associates and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $56,259 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $78,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | IBM | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a postdoc research associate and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between postdoc research associates' and research fellows' demographics:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |