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The differences between research scientists 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 scientist and an associate scientist. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.
The top three skills for a research scientist include python, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Research Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 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 scientists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| 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, 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% |