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The differences between research biologists and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a research biologist, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $69,719 average annual salary of a research biologist.
The top three skills for a research biologist include laboratory equipment, research projects and molecular biology. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Research Biologist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $69,719 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $33.52 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 52,799 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A research biologist is a scientist who works in the outdoors, laboratories, and offices to study the natural elements so that they can better understand how living organisms work. Research biologists must design experiments for various research projects conducted under standard operating procedures and good laboratory practice guidelines. They are required to supervise lab technicians and veterinary medicine students in their respective research projects and studies. Research biologists must also provide support for clinical research protocols through laboratory procedures and protocols.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Research biologists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Biologist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $69,719 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $96,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Juneau, AK | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research biologist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Biologist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research biologists' and scientists' demographics:
| Research Biologist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.7% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |