Principal investigator vs co-investigator

The differences between principal investigators and co-investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a principal investigator, becoming a co-investigator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a principal investigator has an average salary of $84,635, which is higher than the $60,791 average annual salary of a co-investigator.

The top three skills for a principal investigator include patients, data collection and project management. The most important skills for a co-investigator are patients, data collection, and IRB.

Principal investigator vs co-investigator overview

	Principal Investigator	Co-Investigator
Yearly salary	$84,635	$60,791
Hourly rate	$40.69	$29.23
Growth rate	5%	3%
Number of jobs	44,475	7,338
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	4	2

Principal investigator vs co-investigator salary

Principal investigators and co-investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principal Investigator	Co-Investigator
Average salary	$84,635	$60,791
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $120,000	Between $43,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Incyte	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between principal investigator and co-investigator education

There are a few differences between a principal investigator and a co-investigator in terms of educational background:

	Principal Investigator	Co-Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	-

Principal investigator vs co-investigator demographics

Here are the differences between principal investigators' and co-investigators' demographics:

	Principal Investigator	Co-Investigator
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8%	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	16%	9%

Differences between principal investigator and co-investigator duties and responsibilities

Principal investigator example responsibilities.

Serve chemistry project leads for two early-stage drug discovery projects.
Design, build and manage CADD, NMR and MRI facilities.
Attain IRB approval, recruit participants, analyze the data and present results
Manage outsource projects, and interact with vendors for API sourcing, and device components base on project needs.
Conduct research using industry standards: GCP, GLP, SORP and compliance with IRB.
Receive IRB approval and clearance for research

Co-investigator example responsibilities.

Accomplish electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, and behavioral testing on research participants.
Research utilizes nanotechnology in neuroscience aim to better understand and treat pediatric brain tumors and potentially traumatic brain injury.
Perform blood draws, EKG testing, cholesterol testing, A1c/glucose testing, patient interviewing and questionnaires
Build models in python and matlab to investigate the nature of network derive persuasion allocation mechanisms.
Ensure regulatory standards for protocol and HIPPA compliance by staff.
Audit patient notes ensuring compliance with HIPPA and federal regulation code (42 CFR).

Principal investigator vs co-investigator skills

Common principal investigator skills

Patients, 10%
Data Collection, 9%
Project Management, 8%
Technical Reports, 6%
FDA, 4%
Data Analysis, 4%

Common co-investigator skills

Patients, 20%
Data Collection, 11%
IRB, 7%
Data Analysis, 6%
Research Projects, 5%
Clinical Trials, 5%

Principal Investigator vs. similar jobs

Principal Investigator related careers

Principal Investigator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator vs Co-Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs