Principle investigator vs laboratory researcher

The differences between principle investigators and laboratory researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principle investigator and a laboratory researcher. Additionally, a principle investigator has an average salary of $78,325, which is higher than the $27,760 average annual salary of a laboratory researcher.

The top three skills for a principle investigator include GPS, data collection and PI. The most important skills for a laboratory researcher are lab procedures, cell culture, and molecular biology.

Principle investigator vs laboratory researcher overview

	Principle Investigator	Laboratory Researcher
Yearly salary	$78,325	$27,760
Hourly rate	$37.66	$13.35
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	5,554	57,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Principle investigator vs laboratory researcher salary

Principle investigators and laboratory researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principle Investigator	Laboratory Researcher
Average salary	$78,325	$27,760
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $133,000	Between $17,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between principle investigator and laboratory researcher education

There are a few differences between a principle investigator and a laboratory researcher in terms of educational background:

	Principle Investigator	Laboratory Researcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Psychology	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Principle investigator vs laboratory researcher demographics

Here are the differences between principle investigators' and laboratory researchers' demographics:

	Principle Investigator	Laboratory Researcher
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1%	Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between principle investigator and laboratory researcher duties and responsibilities

Principle investigator example responsibilities.

Manage outsource projects, and interact with vendors for API sourcing, and device components base on project needs.
Promote to perform sequence analysis and identify target primer sites for the development of PCR assays for bacterial species.
Synthesize and analyze experimental data using IBM SPSS.
Investigate the toxicology and efficacy of bioresorbable, polymer-base medical devices and extend release drug delivery system.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.

Laboratory researcher example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Plan to create apparatus and experimental procedure to enable selective extraction of DNA using surface chemistry.
Experience in conducting gel electrophoresis procedures.
Gel electrophoresis are used to analyze banding patterns.
Specialize in design and implementation of ELISA's for vaccine.
Analyze samples with advance instrumentation, including HPLC and UV-visible spectroscopy.

Principle investigator vs laboratory researcher skills

Common principle investigator skills

GPS, 9%
Data Collection, 8%
PI, 8%
Literature Reviews, 8%
Data Analysis, 6%
Research Projects, 5%

Common laboratory researcher skills

Lab Procedures, 10%
Cell Culture, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
PCR, 6%
Chemistry, 5%
R, 4%

Principle Investigator vs. similar jobs

Principle Investigator related careers

Principle Investigator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Principle Investigator
Principle Investigator vs Laboratory Researcher

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs