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The differences between research fellows and research chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research chemist has an average salary of $75,843, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a research fellow include patients, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a research chemist are laboratory equipment, method development, and R.
| Research Fellow | Research Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,823 | $75,843 |
| Hourly rate | $25.88 | $36.46 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 59,746 | 53,769 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.
Research fellows and research chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Fellow | Research Chemist | |
| Average salary | $53,823 | $75,843 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $53,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | McLean, VA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Virginia |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Energy |
There are a few differences between a research fellow and a research chemist in terms of educational background:
| Research Fellow | Research Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between research fellows' and research chemists' demographics:
| Research Fellow | Research Chemist | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 22.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |