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The differences between senior research associates and 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 research associate, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $72,618 average annual salary of a senior research associate.
The top three skills for a senior research associate include patients, data analysis and CRISPR. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Senior Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $72,618 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $34.91 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 58,903 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A Senior Research Associate works closely with research team members to implement research ideas. They diagnose, solve system/software problems, and install application software according to research needs.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Senior research associates and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $72,618 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $102,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior research associate and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between senior research associates' and scientists' demographics:
| Senior Research Associate | Scientist | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |