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The differences between research fellows and staff 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 research fellow and a staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, 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 staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Research Fellow | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,823 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $25.88 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,746 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Research fellows and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Fellow | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $53,823 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research fellow and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Fellow | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research fellows' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Research Fellow | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |