Postdoctoral research associate vs staff scientist

The differences between postdoctoral research associates and staff 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 postdoctoral research associate and a staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.

The top three skills for a postdoctoral research associate include python, research projects and chemistry. The most important skills for a staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.

Postdoctoral research associate vs staff scientist overview

	Postdoctoral Research Associate	Staff Scientist
Yearly salary	$52,785	$93,941
Hourly rate	$25.38	$45.16
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	59,377	121,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a postdoctoral research associate do?

A postdoctoral research associate is responsible for assisting the educational institution's research department, writing research reports, analyzing research methods, and collecting information and related studies to support the research claims. Postdoctoral research associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, reporting research updates to the research head, performing adjustments as needed, and gaining more expertise on the subject by brainstorming and discussing strategic procedures for the study. They may also conduct field investigation or coordinate with other institutions for additional reference, depending on the research's scope and limitation.

What does a staff scientist do?

The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.

Postdoctoral research associate vs staff scientist salary

Postdoctoral research associates and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Postdoctoral Research Associate	Staff Scientist
Average salary	$52,785	$93,941
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $72,000	Between $63,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	Memphis, TN	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	Argonne National Laboratory	Etsy
Best paying industry	Professional	Technology

Differences between postdoctoral research associate and staff scientist education

There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research associate and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:

	Postdoctoral Research Associate	Staff Scientist
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Postdoctoral research associate vs staff scientist demographics

Here are the differences between postdoctoral research associates' and staff scientists' demographics:

	Postdoctoral Research Associate	Staff Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%	Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between postdoctoral research associate and staff scientist duties and responsibilities

Postdoctoral research associate example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Transfect 293-T cells with CRISPR constructs.
Execute parallel synthesis on both solution and solid phase to develop library of compounds.
Diagnose and resolve all instruments during breakdown (GC/MS/MS, GC/ECD, UV-Vis).
Develop python codes to efficiently handle multiple read/unread, flag/unflag, and delete operations on emails.
Characterize particles using DLS and UV-vis spectrophotometer to measure particle sizes and detect oxide layer, respectively.

Staff scientist example responsibilities.

Lead efforts to replace a critical radioactive immunoassay with a non-radioactive format to measure clinical samples.
Manage clinical sample testing using MSD and ELISA in LIMS, including data review and approval using LIMS.
Assist in managing and maintenance of HPLC and Prep-HPLC systems to ensure maximum productivity for the process development group.
Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
Assist with RNA and DNA extractions from FFPE tissue and blood.
Supervise temps performing HPLC assays and validations during development and production campaigns under GMP conditions.

Postdoctoral research associate vs staff scientist skills

Common postdoctoral research associate skills

Python, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Post-Doctoral, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

Common staff scientist skills

Data Analysis, 9%
Research Projects, 7%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Next-Generation Sequencing, 4%
Statistical Analysis, 4%
RNA, 4%

Postdoctoral Research Associate vs. similar jobs

Postdoctoral Research Associate related careers

Postdoctoral Research Associate related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Postdoctoral Research Associate vs Staff Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs