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Senior research fellow vs assistant research scientist

The differences between senior research fellows and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior research fellow, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant research scientist has an average salary of $62,780, which is higher than the $62,129 average annual salary of a senior research fellow.

The top three skills for a senior research fellow include python, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.

Senior research fellow vs assistant research scientist overview

Senior Research FellowAssistant Research Scientist
Yearly salary$62,129$62,780
Hourly rate$29.87$30.18
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs53,53588,786
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4138
Years of experience42

What does a senior research fellow do?

Senior Research Fellows are reputable researchers employed in an academic institution or a research facility. The nature of their employment in the institution is related to their research work or field of interest. Senior Research Fellows lead a team of researchers on big projects that require more team members. They manage the team's budget, set timelines, and guide the researchers. They spearhead the analysis of the data gathered. They also set the tone for the presentation materials. Senior Research Fellows should be passionate about their field, should have a thirst for knowledge, and should be able to lead teams.

What does an assistant research scientist do?

An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.

Senior research fellow vs assistant research scientist salary

Senior research fellows and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Research FellowAssistant Research Scientist
Average salary$62,129$62,780
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $95,000Between $43,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CityUrban Honolulu, HISan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiMassachusetts
Best paying companyGoogleUniversity of California
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between senior research fellow and assistant research scientist education

There are a few differences between a senior research fellow and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:

Senior Research FellowAssistant Research Scientist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorChemistryBiology
Most common collegeDuke UniversityHarvard University

Senior research fellow vs assistant research scientist demographics

Here are the differences between senior research fellows' and assistant research scientists' demographics:

Senior Research FellowAssistant Research Scientist
Average age4138
Gender ratioMale, 56.1% Female, 43.9%Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between senior research fellow and assistant research scientist duties and responsibilities

Senior research fellow example responsibilities.

  • Lead a project aim at improving DNA yields from various soil types in Dr. Connell's lab.
  • Manage grant base research and submit the grant proposal to ICAR and get approved for fund research.
  • Mentore a graduate student on the following topics: study design, literature reviews, drafting data plans and SAS.
  • Contribute to the creation of new markup standards for scholarship in the humanities.
  • Research unidentify payments and patients.
  • Conduct long-term observations of grind water dynamics and chemistry.
  • Show more

Assistant research scientist example responsibilities.

  • Lead a group of four employees in optimizing DNA purification technologies for production DNA sequencing.
  • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
  • Experience in SAS programming in biomedical research.
  • Prepare salivary samples for Cortisol ELISA assays.
  • Gather and code quantitative and qualitative data using SPSS and Atlas.ti.
  • Standardize assays to elucidate the mechanism of action of lead molecules.
  • Show more

Senior research fellow vs assistant research scientist skills

Common senior research fellow skills
  • Python, 12%
  • Research Projects, 8%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • C++, 6%
  • Research Findings, 5%
  • Data Collection, 4%
Common assistant research scientist skills
  • Research Projects, 8%
  • Data Collection, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Lab Equipment, 4%
  • Cell Culture, 4%
  • Chemistry, 4%

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