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The differences between research scientists and research laboratory technicians 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 a research laboratory technician. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a research scientist include python, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.
| Research Scientist | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $38,308 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $18.42 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 86,476 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| 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.
Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.
Research scientists and research laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $38,308 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $30,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | California | Illinois |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and a research laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and research laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% |
| 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, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |