How To Become A Principal Research Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a principal research scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

A principal research scientist is responsible for providing a high level of scientific research expertise for a particular company associated with new program initiatives, new and on-going development activities, and applied and fundamental scientific research.

The duties that they perform in this capacity include providing high-level scientific expertise for new and ongoing activities in the organization, interfacing with manufactures or vendors as well as university, government and industrial customers in the development and definition of research projects. In addition, they develop cost and schedule project plans for scientific research projects, carry out a high-level scientific research program, and document the results of scientific research through reports, presentations at meetings, and through publication in proceedings and journal articles. Educational requirements for this senior position include an advanced degree such as PhD in engineering, computer science, or an appropriate field. Moreover, work experience of ten or more years in scientific research development is also desired.

The average hourly salary for the position is $57.29, which amounts to $119,168 annually. The career is expected to grow in the near future and create new opportunities across the United States.

What general advice would you give to a principal research scientist?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScorePrincipal Research ScientistUS Average

Salary

8.3

Avg. Salary $127,191

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.42%

Black or African American 6.33%

Hispanic or Latino 9.55%

Unknown 4.09%

White 53.46%

Gender

female 21.26%

male 78.74%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a principal research scientist

Explore principal research scientist education requirements

Most common principal research scientist degrees

Bachelor's

52.6 %

Doctorate

28.9 %

Master's

16.2 %

Start to develop specific principal research scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Research Projects	6.59%
Principal Research	5.53%
Data Analysis	5.27%
Project Management	4.15%
Drug Discovery	4.10%

Complete relevant principal research scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principal research scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a principal research scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principal research scientist resumes.

Research principal research scientist duties and responsibilities

Coordinate and lead participation in NMR scientific projects.
Lead a team to develop Java modules to display protein sequences and structures.
Manage the departmental DNA sequencing facility.
Forge and manage collaborative relationships with DoD and academia.

Get principal research scientist experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a principal research scientist. The most common roles before becoming a principal research scientist include senior scientist, research scientist team lead and research fellow.

Prepare your principal research scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principal research scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a principal research scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable principal research scientist resume templates

Build a professional principal research scientist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your principal research scientist resume.

Apply for principal research scientist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a principal research scientist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average principal research scientist salary

The average principal research scientist salary in the United States is $127,191 per year or $61 per hour. Principal research scientist salaries range between $87,000 and $184,000 per year.

Average principal research scientist salary

$127,191 Yearly

$61.15 hourly

How do principal research scientists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Principal research scientist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023

Pros

it is fun and kind of reminds be of being a child

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Science of observation

Cons

Haven't gotten to that point yet! you are looking for a story that has yet left the summary

What is a principal research scientist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a principal research scientist?

Principal research scientist career paths

Key steps to become a principal research scientist

Explore principal research scientist education requirements

Most common principal research scientist degrees

Start to develop specific principal research scientist skills

Complete relevant principal research scientist training and internships

Research principal research scientist duties and responsibilities

Get principal research scientist experience

Prepare your principal research scientist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable principal research scientist resume templates

Apply for principal research scientist jobs

How did you land your first principal research scientist job

Average principal research scientist salary

How do principal research scientists rate their job?

Principal research scientist reviews

Principal research scientist jobs by state