How To Become A Scientific Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a scientific director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Scientific directors conduct research to further the knowledge and development of a particular scientific field. They head a single or multiple departments and act as their supervisor, among other responsibilities. Such directors work in both public and private sectors.

Some of the functions that they perform in this capacity include conducting research for their particular field, as well as implementing new initiatives. Moreover, they also oversee program operations including planning and evaluation, budgeting, and administrative supervision. Lastly, they are tasked with recommending improvements to the current scientific model and help implement new techniques. Essential skills that employers require in such individuals include leadership, communication, analytical, and administrative.

To qualify for this position, applicants will need a doctorate's degree along with senior-level research experience. As this is a senior position, the higher the credentials, the greater the chances of qualifying for it. The average hourly pay for this position is $46.14, which amounts to over $95,000 annually. The career is expected to grow in the near future and create new opportunities across the United States.

ScoreScientific DirectorUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $116,045

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.54%

Black or African American 6.19%

Hispanic or Latino 9.38%

Unknown 4.05%

White 53.69%

Gender

female 37.32%

male 62.68%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a scientific director

Explore scientific director education requirements

Most common scientific director degrees

Bachelor's

43.7 %

Doctorate

38.4 %

Master's

15.2 %

Start to develop specific scientific director skills

Skills	Percentages
Medical Affairs	12.07%
Clinical Development	11.02%
Clinical Research	10.96%
Pharmaceutical Industry	9.76%
FDA	9.20%

Complete relevant scientific director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New scientific directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a scientific director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real scientific director resumes.

Research scientific director duties and responsibilities

Lead a team of 11 direct reports and 35 indirect reports to solve development problems for multicapillary electrophoresis instruments.
Establish analytical and QC workflows for client data.
Compose and submit grants and proposals to NIH and DOD
Establish quantitative ELISA assay to assess goat antisera titers.

Get scientific director experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a scientific director. The most common roles before becoming a scientific director include research fellow, senior scientist team lead and assistant professor.

Prepare your scientific director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your scientific director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a scientific director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable scientific director resume templates

Build a professional scientific director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your scientific director resume.