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The differences between research scientists and senior 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 a senior scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $89,998 average annual salary of a research scientist.
The top three skills for a research scientist include python, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Research scientists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |