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The differences between postdoctoral research scientists 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 scientist and a staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, 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 staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,781 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $25.86 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,782 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 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 scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $53,781 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a postdoctoral research scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between postdoctoral research scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Postdoctoral Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |