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The differences between senior principal scientists and postdoctoral associates 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 a postdoctoral associate. Additionally, a senior principal scientist has an average salary of $119,042, which is higher than the $54,350 average annual salary of a postdoctoral associate.
The top three skills for a senior principal scientist include chemistry, drug discovery and java. The most important skills for a postdoctoral associate are patients, TIP, and data analysis.
| Senior Principal Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $119,042 | $54,350 |
| Hourly rate | $57.23 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 85,334 | 18,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| 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.
A postdoctoral associate is responsible for researching to support scientific claims and theories by collecting evidence and information to answer scientific questions. Postdoctoral associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to interact with people and document investigation findings. They also utilize laboratory tools and equipment for scientific researches, conduct field investigations, and interview participants. A postdoctoral associate designs comprehensive research models to discuss results with the panel and the team efficiently and accurately.
Senior principal scientists and postdoctoral associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principal Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average salary | $119,042 | $54,350 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $169,000 | Between $39,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a senior principal scientist and a postdoctoral associate in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principal Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior principal scientists' and postdoctoral associates' demographics:
| Senior Principal Scientist | Postdoctoral Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| 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, 5.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 39.4% White, 42.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |