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The differences between research scientists and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a research scientist, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $62,780 average annual salary of an assistant research scientist.
The top three skills for a research scientist include python, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Research scientists and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Lyft | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |