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The differences between research scientists and software engineers 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 software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Research Scientist | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| 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 software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Research scientists and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and software engineers' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |