Research microbiologist vs postdoctoral research associate

The differences between research microbiologists and postdoctoral research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a research microbiologist, becoming a postdoctoral research associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research microbiologist has an average salary of $70,894, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.

The top three skills for a research microbiologist include R, lab equipment and chemistry. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.

Research microbiologist vs postdoctoral research associate overview

	Research Microbiologist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Yearly salary	$70,894	$52,785
Hourly rate	$34.08	$25.38
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	47,374	59,377
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Average age	40	41
Years of experience	2	4

Research microbiologist vs postdoctoral research associate salary

Research microbiologists and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Microbiologist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average salary	$70,894	$52,785
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $102,000	Between $38,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Memphis, TN
Highest paying state	Virginia	Hawaii
Best paying company	Randstad North America, Inc.	Argonne National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Professional

Differences between research microbiologist and postdoctoral research associate education

There are a few differences between a research microbiologist and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:

	Research Microbiologist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Most common major	Biology	Chemistry
Most common college	Stanford University	Duke University

Research microbiologist vs postdoctoral research associate demographics

Here are the differences between research microbiologists' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:

	Research Microbiologist	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average age	40	41
Gender ratio	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between research microbiologist and postdoctoral research associate duties and responsibilities

Research microbiologist example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Design and conduct testing require for surgical medical devices and pharmaceuticals by FDA and EPA.
Complete media preparation and QC.
Participate in the company's quality program according to GMP and ISO requirements.
Perform QC review on all outgoing reports.
Perform analysis relate to the application of DNA sequencing.

Postdoctoral research associate example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Transfect 293-T cells with CRISPR constructs.
Execute parallel synthesis on both solution and solid phase to develop library of compounds.
Diagnose and resolve all instruments during breakdown (GC/MS/MS, GC/ECD, UV-Vis).
Develop python codes to efficiently handle multiple read/unread, flag/unflag, and delete operations on emails.
Characterize particles using DLS and UV-vis spectrophotometer to measure particle sizes and detect oxide layer, respectively.

Research microbiologist vs postdoctoral research associate skills

Common research microbiologist skills

R, 13%
Lab Equipment, 10%
Chemistry, 8%
Microorganisms, 6%
FDA, 6%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%

Common postdoctoral research associate skills

Python, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Post-Doctoral, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Research Microbiologist
Research Microbiologist vs Postdoctoral Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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