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The differences between principal scientists and research 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 principal scientist and a research scientist. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $89,998 average annual salary of a research scientist.
The top three skills for a principal scientist include oncology, data analysis and drug discovery. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Principal Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $119,982 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $57.68 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 80,899 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Principal scientists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $119,982 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $169,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a principal scientist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Principal Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between principal scientists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Principal Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |