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The differences between production scientists and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a production scientist and a research fellow. Additionally, a production scientist has an average salary of $77,464, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a production scientist include process improvement, QC and lab equipment. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Production Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $77,464 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $37.24 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 100,301 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A production scientist analyzes production operations and manufacturing processes to identify gaps, modify current procedures that would increase process efficiency, and maximize optimal performance. Production scientists inspect the tools and materials utilized for the production and oversee research trials for process formulations. They also develop opportunities and design models that support business functions, generating more innovation and increasing more revenue resources for the business. A production scientist writes research findings, manages resources, and determines various process feasibility.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Production scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $77,464 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $124,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Beckman Coulter | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a production scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Production Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between production scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Production Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 23.3% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |