Senior laboratory scientist vs associate scientist

The differences between senior laboratory scientists and associate 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 laboratory scientist and an associate scientist. Additionally, a senior laboratory scientist has an average salary of $88,562, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.

The top three skills for a senior laboratory scientist include GMP, FDA and cell culture. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.

Senior laboratory scientist vs associate scientist overview

	Senior Laboratory Scientist	Associate Scientist
Yearly salary	$88,562	$76,461
Hourly rate	$42.58	$36.76
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	77,364	54,950
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Senior laboratory scientist vs associate scientist salary

Senior laboratory scientists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Laboratory Scientist	Associate Scientist
Average salary	$88,562	$76,461
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $128,000	Between $53,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Phillips 66
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between senior laboratory scientist and associate scientist education

There are a few differences between a senior laboratory scientist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:

	Senior Laboratory Scientist	Associate Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	University of Southern California

Senior laboratory scientist vs associate scientist demographics

Here are the differences between senior laboratory scientists' and associate scientists' demographics:

	Senior Laboratory Scientist	Associate Scientist
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%	Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between senior laboratory scientist and associate scientist duties and responsibilities

Senior laboratory scientist example responsibilities.

Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
Enter results into LIMS database.
Generate reports and deliver of presentations to support submissions to FDA.
Establish quantitative, proprietary method for measurement of menstrual blood loss (now register with FDA).
Key activities include process chemistry development, synthesis of intermediates, compound purification and structure identification, and comprehensive scientific documentation.
Interpret metabolism data and review reports to support strategies forward thinking with a specialization in drug metabolism and metabolic enzymes.

Associate scientist example responsibilities.

Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
Generate crispr knockout STAT1, STAT3 and STAT1 & 3double knockout cell lines.
Use CRISPR technology to create target knockout cell line.
Direct ISO 9000 4.10 team registration activities and perform internal audits.
Prepare stock reagents and buffers for use in manufacturing assay kits.
Confirm the quality of product meet specifications according to cGMP and ICH guidelines.

Senior laboratory scientist vs associate scientist skills

Common senior laboratory scientist skills

GMP, 9%
FDA, 9%
Cell Culture, 9%
Analytical Methods, 7%
R, 6%
Method Development, 6%

Common associate scientist skills

Chemistry, 9%
Patients, 8%
Cell Culture, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
GMP, 4%
Lab Equipment, 3%

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Senior Laboratory Scientist
Senior Laboratory Scientist vs Associate Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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