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The differences between research scientist leads and principal 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 lead and a principal scientist. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $102,713 average annual salary of a research scientist lead.
The top three skills for a research scientist lead include research projects, R and artificial intelligence. The most important skills for a principal scientist are oncology, data analysis, and drug discovery.
| Research Scientist Lead | Principal Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $102,713 | $119,982 |
| Hourly rate | $49.38 | $57.68 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 86,792 | 80,899 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Research scientist leads and principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Scientist Lead | Principal Scientist | |
| Average salary | $102,713 | $119,982 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $155,000 | Between $84,000 And $169,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research scientist lead and a principal scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Scientist Lead | Principal Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research scientist leads' and principal scientists' demographics:
| Research Scientist Lead | Principal Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.8% Female, 31.2% | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |