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What is a senior development scientist and how to become one
A senior development scientist oversees the development of a product from start to finish, ensuring that the product is able to pass through every step of the process--from the table until shipment. They are responsible for leading development teams, designing new products and developments, maintaining quality standards with testing, and compiling and organizing data necessary for product release.
The duties that a senior development scientist fulfills within this capacity include but are not limited to, planning, organizing, and overseeing process or production trials. Moreover, they make improvements or modifications to current processes as well as formulate new production processes or stages within processes. They record and analyze data and present results to colleagues. Lastly, they supervise junior staff including technicians. The position requires at least a bachelor's degree in a relevant field with several years of related experience. A master's degree is preferred by most companies with at least five years of experience.
The average hourly salary for the position is $44.38, which amounts to $92,306 annually. In addition, the career is expected to grow further in the near future, resulting in various new opportunities across the United States.
What general advice would you give to a senior development scientist?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Avg. Salary $102,262
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 17%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%
Asian 26.27%
Black or African American 6.50%
Hispanic or Latino 9.77%
Unknown 4.14%
White 53.17%
Genderfemale 28.34%
male 71.66%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Senior development scientist career paths
Key steps to become a senior development scientist
Explore senior development scientist education requirements
Start to develop specific senior development scientist skills
Skills Percentages GMP 8.16% Data Analysis 7.65% Technical Reports 5.28% Analytical Methods 4.58% Method Development 4.20% Complete relevant senior development scientist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior development scientists 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 senior development scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior development scientist resumes.Research senior development scientist duties and responsibilities
- Manage method validations and sample analysis for pre-clinical GLP studies.
- Lead solvates diversity study of API to understand the mechanism of rejecting impurities by crystallization.
- Manage formulating, packaging, distribution and QC of the PDAR, AoD and ABD product line in manufacturing environment.
- Lead development of ELISA microplate assay for Cardiolipin antibodies
Get senior development scientist experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior development scientist. The most common roles before becoming a senior development scientist include senior scientist, scientist team lead and research scientist.Prepare your senior development scientist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior development scientist 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 senior development scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
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Build a professional senior development scientist 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 senior development scientist resume.
Apply for senior development scientist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior development scientist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
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Average senior development scientist salary
The average senior development scientist salary in the United States is $102,262 per year or $49 per hour. Senior development scientist salaries range between $74,000 and $140,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
