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The differences between research scientists and senior research fellows 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 senior research fellow. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $62,129 average annual salary of a senior research fellow.
The top three skills for a research scientist include python, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for a senior research fellow are python, research projects, and data analysis.
| Research Scientist | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $62,129 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $29.87 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 53,535 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
Senior Research Fellows are reputable researchers employed in an academic institution or a research facility. The nature of their employment in the institution is related to their research work or field of interest. Senior Research Fellows lead a team of researchers on big projects that require more team members. They manage the team's budget, set timelines, and guide the researchers. They spearhead the analysis of the data gathered. They also set the tone for the presentation materials. Senior Research Fellows should be passionate about their field, should have a thirst for knowledge, and should be able to lead teams.
Research scientists and senior research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $62,129 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $40,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lyft | |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and a senior research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and senior research fellows' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |