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The differences between principal investigators and principal associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal investigator and a principal associate. Additionally, a principal associate has an average salary of $112,879, which is higher than the $84,635 average annual salary of a principal investigator.
The top three skills for a principal investigator include patients, data collection and project management. The most important skills for a principal associate are healthcare, project management, and business development.
| Principal Investigator | Principal Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $84,635 | $112,879 |
| Hourly rate | $40.69 | $54.27 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 44,475 | 40,128 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Principal Investigator is the primary person who is responsible for designing, conducting, and reporting a research project. They report to a designated official such as the department head or division chief.
Principal associates work within the education system, having responsibility over students, teachers, counselors, and other staff members. This particular career choice also requires excellent skills in project management, communication, leadership, critical thinking, and decision-making, and those who aspire to this career will be needed to develop business opportunities, securing funding and other resources for the school.
Principal investigators and principal associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Investigator | Principal Associate | |
| Average salary | $84,635 | $112,879 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $120,000 | Between $78,000 And $162,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Incyte | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a principal investigator and a principal associate in terms of educational background:
| Principal Investigator | Principal Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between principal investigators' and principal associates' demographics:
| Principal Investigator | Principal Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |