Principle investigator vs postdoctoral research associate

The differences between principle investigators and postdoctoral research 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 principle investigator and a postdoctoral research associate. Additionally, a principle investigator has an average salary of $78,325, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.

The top three skills for a principle investigator include GPS, data collection and PI. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.

Principle investigator vs postdoctoral research associate overview

	Principle Investigator	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Yearly salary	$78,325	$52,785
Hourly rate	$37.66	$25.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	5,554	59,377
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Principle investigator vs postdoctoral research associate salary

Principle investigators and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principle Investigator	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average salary	$78,325	$52,785
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $133,000	Between $38,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	Memphis, TN
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Argonne National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between principle investigator and postdoctoral research associate education

There are a few differences between a principle investigator and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:

	Principle Investigator	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Most common major	Psychology	Chemistry
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Principle investigator vs postdoctoral research associate demographics

Here are the differences between principle investigators' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:

	Principle Investigator	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1%	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%
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, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between principle investigator and postdoctoral research associate 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.

Postdoctoral research associate example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Transfect 293-T cells with CRISPR constructs.
Execute parallel synthesis on both solution and solid phase to develop library of compounds.
Diagnose and resolve all instruments during breakdown (GC/MS/MS, GC/ECD, UV-Vis).
Develop python codes to efficiently handle multiple read/unread, flag/unflag, and delete operations on emails.
Characterize particles using DLS and UV-vis spectrophotometer to measure particle sizes and detect oxide layer, respectively.

Principle investigator vs postdoctoral research associate skills

Common principle investigator skills

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

Common postdoctoral research associate skills

Python, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Post-Doctoral, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Principle Investigator
Principle Investigator vs Postdoctoral Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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