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The differences between postdoctoral research scientists and research technicians 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 technician. Additionally, a postdoctoral research scientist has an average salary of $53,781, which is higher than the $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a postdoctoral research scientist include python, C++ and research projects. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,781 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $25.86 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,782 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| 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 technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Postdoctoral research scientists and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,781 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research scientist and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between postdoctoral research scientists' and research technicians' demographics:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |