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The differences between research professors and associate 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 professor and an associate scientist. Additionally, a research professor has an average salary of $119,503, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.
The top three skills for a research professor include research projects, public health and data collection. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Research Professor | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $119,503 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $57.45 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,502 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Research professors lead the research culture in their departments. In some cases, they will do less undergraduate teaching and focus more on teaching post-graduates. They also teach students at higher education institutions. They focus on their research activities that include presenting research findings at conferences worldwide. They are involved in initiatives working with private sectors and other public sector bodies. Part of their duties includes marking assessed work, attending planning meetings to ensure cross-departmental parity, and doing administrative tasks within the department.
An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.
Research professors and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Professor | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $119,503 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $212,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pasadena, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | New York University | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a research professor and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Professor | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research professors' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Research Professor | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |