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The differences between senior associate 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 senior associate scientist and a staff scientist. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $90,208 average annual salary of a senior associate scientist.
The top three skills for a senior associate scientist include data analysis, chemistry and cell culture. The most important skills for a staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Senior Associate Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $90,208 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $43.37 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 47,742 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Senior Associate Scientist supervises the work of associate scientists. They manage the design and implementation process of a research project, which includes analyzing information for that project.
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.
Senior associate scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Associate Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $90,208 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $141,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Workday | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior associate scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Associate Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior associate scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Senior Associate Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 25.8% White, 53.5% 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% |