Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between product development specialists and research specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a product development specialist and a research specialist. Additionally, a product development specialist has an average salary of $70,820, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a research specialist.
The top three skills for a product development specialist include product development, project management and R. The most important skills for a research specialist are data collection, patients, and research projects.
| Product Development Specialist | Research Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $70,820 | $52,662 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $25.32 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 120,487 | 79,341 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A product development specialist's role is to facilitate the development of efficient and high-quality products in a company. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to create business plans, devising strategies to optimize procedures, overseeing the workflow and the performance of the workforce, and establishing guidelines as needed. Furthermore, as a product development specialist, it is essential to coordinate and maintain an active communication line with the rest of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and goals.
In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.
Product development specialists and research specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Specialist | Research Specialist | |
| Average salary | $70,820 | $52,662 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $117,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Novartis |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development specialist and a research specialist in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Specialist | Research Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between product development specialists' and research specialists' demographics:
| Product Development Specialist | Research Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% | Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |