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The differences between postdoctoral research scientists and research 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 scientist and a research scientist. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, 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 scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,781 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $25.86 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,782 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Postdoctoral research scientists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $53,781 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research scientist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between postdoctoral research scientists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |