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The differences between postdoctoral research scientists and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a postdoctoral research scientist, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant research scientist has an average salary of $62,780, which is higher than the $53,781 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research scientist.
The top three skills for a postdoctoral research scientist include python, C++ and research projects. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,781 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $25.86 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,782 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A Postdoctoral Research Scientist undertakes and analyzes information about investigations, experiments, and trials from a controlled laboratory. They work in almost every area of science.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Postdoctoral research scientists and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $53,781 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research scientist and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between postdoctoral research scientists' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 35.6% White, 45.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |