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The differences between research scientists and staff 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 staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, 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 staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $89,998 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $43.27 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 93,013 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Research scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $89,998 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $137,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Research Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |