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The differences between postdoc research associates 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 research associate and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, 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 scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,259 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $27.05 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,460 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 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.
Postdoc research associates and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoc Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $56,259 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $78,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | IBM | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a postdoc research associate and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between postdoc research associates' and scientists' demographics:
| Postdoc Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| 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, 6.5% 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% |