Principle investigator vs senior scientist

The differences between principle investigators and senior 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 principle investigator and a senior scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $78,325 average annual salary of a principle investigator.

The top three skills for a principle investigator include GPS, data collection and PI. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.

Principle investigator vs senior scientist overview

	Principle Investigator	Senior Scientist
Yearly salary	$78,325	$106,672
Hourly rate	$37.66	$51.28
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	5,554	49,712
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Principle investigator vs senior scientist salary

Principle investigators and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principle Investigator	Senior Scientist
Average salary	$78,325	$106,672
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $133,000	Between $74,000 And $153,000
Highest paying City	-	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Best paying industry	-	Telecommunication

Differences between principle investigator and senior scientist education

There are a few differences between a principle investigator and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:

	Principle Investigator	Senior Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Psychology	Chemistry
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Principle investigator vs senior scientist demographics

Here are the differences between principle investigators' and senior scientists' demographics:

	Principle Investigator	Senior Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between principle investigator and senior scientist 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.

Senior scientist example responsibilities.

Lead the development and implementation of new technology for use in NMR applications.
Strategize and manage the PK/PD program with internal collaborations including chemistry, DMPK, formulation and toxicology.
Lead a team and develop a 24-channel GC parallel separation system for high throughput screening of catalysts.
Lead a team of 11 direct reports and 35 indirect reports to solve development problems for multicapillary electrophoresis instruments.
Influence and impact others through building and maintaining strong networks that are leverage to obtain critical information and accomplish objectives.
Manage collaborations with external CROs.

Principle investigator vs senior scientist skills

Common principle investigator skills

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

Common senior scientist skills

Patients, 11%
Data Analysis, 6%
Molecular Biology, 3%
Research Projects, 3%
C++, 3%
Java, 3%

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Principle Investigator
Principle Investigator vs Senior Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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