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The differences between project scientists 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 project scientist and a senior scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $79,073 average annual salary of a project scientist.
The top three skills for a project scientist include data analysis, research projects and oversight. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Project Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $79,073 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $38.02 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 53,045 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Project Scientist is responsible for conducting tests and evaluations of existing products and reporting the findings. The industries they may work in include textiles technology, polymer technology, chemical sciences, and chemical engineering.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Project scientists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $79,073 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $110,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a project scientist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Project Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between project scientists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Project Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.2% White, 53.3% 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% |