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The differences between senior principal scientists and associate principal 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 principal scientist and an associate principal scientist. Additionally, a senior principal scientist has an average salary of $119,042, which is higher than the $112,297 average annual salary of an associate principal scientist.
The top three skills for a senior principal scientist include chemistry, drug discovery and java. The most important skills for an associate principal scientist are data analysis, chemistry, and project management.
| Senior Principal Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $119,042 | $112,297 |
| Hourly rate | $57.23 | $53.99 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 85,334 | 82,048 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Senior Principal Scientist is focused on providing technical and scientific expertise in a specific field. They conduct quantitative and qualitative research to enhance existing products or develop new ones.
Associate Principal Scientists are responsible for directing the operations of scientific research.They work with cross-functional teams in elaborating technical specifications, and they provide training and mentorship to staff. An associate principal scientist maintains clients' and projects' confidentiality and learns proactively to keep abreast of technological advancements.Other duties may include resolving conflicts within and between departments, monitoring project timeline and performance, supervising laboratory work, and ensuring accurate scientific report documentation.
Senior principal scientists and associate principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principal Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Average salary | $119,042 | $112,297 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $169,000 | Between $78,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Schrödinger |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior principal scientist and an associate principal scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principal Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior principal scientists' and associate principal scientists' demographics:
| Senior Principal Scientist | Associate Principal Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |