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The differences between senior microbiologists and senior scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior microbiologist, becoming a senior scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $69,951 average annual salary of a senior microbiologist.
The top three skills for a senior microbiologist include FDA, environmental monitoring and microbiology lab. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Senior Microbiologist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $69,951 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $33.63 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 12,133 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A senior microbiologist specializes in conducting studies and research, focusing on microorganisms. Their workplace responsibilities usually revolve around spearheading research projects, gathering and analyzing samples through various laboratory procedures, performing experiments and assessments, maintaining records of all operations, and drawing conclusions and recommendations according to the research findings. As a senior microbiologist, it is also their duty to lead and serve as a mentor to junior microbiologists in the joint effort to reach project goals. Moreover, when it comes to employment, a senior microbiologist may work for government agencies, private laboratories, and even teach at universities.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Senior microbiologists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Microbiologist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $69,951 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $95,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior microbiologist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Microbiologist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior microbiologists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Senior Microbiologist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |