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The differences between scientists and research 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 scientist and a research scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $89,998 average annual salary of a research scientist.
The top three skills for a scientist include chemistry, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $97,344 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $46.80 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 62,467 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
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.
Scientists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $97,344 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $140,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a scientist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between scientists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |