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The differences between postdoctoral research scientists 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 postdoctoral research scientist and a research fellow. Additionally, a research fellow has an average salary of $53,823, 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 a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $53,781 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $25.86 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,782 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Postdoctoral research scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $53,781 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between postdoctoral research scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 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% |