Research physicist vs computational physicist

The differences between research physicists and computational physicists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a research physicist and a computational physicist. Additionally, a research physicist has an average salary of $74,663, which is higher than the $61,519 average annual salary of a computational physicist.

The top three skills for a research physicist include data analysis, laser and python. The most important skills for a computational physicist are C++, technical support, and DOE.

Research physicist vs computational physicist overview

	Research Physicist	Computational Physicist
Yearly salary	$74,663	$61,519
Hourly rate	$35.90	$29.58
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	46,060	865
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a research physicist do?

A research physicist's job is to conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories based on observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Their duties and responsibilities include describing observations, developing simulations, and advising authorities on procedures to be followed.

What does a computational physicist do?

Computational physicists are professionals who implement numerical analysis and physics functionals in solving problems. The physicists apply knowledge from different disciplines like mathematics, computer science, and statistics for a theory test. They prepare and issue management, technical, and administrative policies for the safety program of directorate radiation. Their job includes the scientific validation of atmospheric dispersion equations. Also, they conduct collection site simulations such as thermal transfer, effluent release, and radiometry.

Research physicist vs computational physicist salary

Research physicists and computational physicists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Physicist	Computational Physicist
Average salary	$74,663	$61,519
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $107,000	Between $28,000 And $133,000
Highest paying City	Coram, NY	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Sandia National Labs	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between research physicist and computational physicist education

There are a few differences between a research physicist and a computational physicist in terms of educational background:

	Research Physicist	Computational Physicist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Physics	Physics
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Research physicist vs computational physicist demographics

Here are the differences between research physicists' and computational physicists' demographics:

	Research Physicist	Computational Physicist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 10.8% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 80.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	24%	24%

Differences between research physicist and computational physicist duties and responsibilities

Research physicist example responsibilities.

Foster cross laboratory collaboration between physics labs and between engineering, biology, and chemistry departments to accomplish share goals.
Design and oversee construction of flow loop for development of multi-phase NMR flowmeter.
Develop and conduct technologists' training on MR QC, QA and safety programs.
Commission of ArcCheck (SunNuclear) for patient-specific QA of IMRT, RapidArc, and SBRT as medical physics resident.
Perform all aspects of LDR brachytherapy procedures using VariSeed 8.0 under the supervision of the physician and three ABR certify physicists
Commission TrueBeam Linac system as medical physics resident.

Computational physicist example responsibilities.

Develop training PowerPoint materials to teach core elements to soldiers using web-base and SharePoint applications.perform site assistance visits to subordinates.
Service on review panels for projects at DARPA and NSF.

Research physicist vs computational physicist skills

Common research physicist skills

Data Analysis, 20%
Laser, 15%
Python, 10%
Data Collection, 8%
Technical Reports, 7%
RF, 7%

Common computational physicist skills

C++, 37%
Technical Support, 19%
DOE, 18%
MATLAB, 14%
RF, 5%
Model Validation, 2%

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Research Physicist vs Computational Physicist

Updated January 8, 2025

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