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The differences between senior research specialists and research project coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior research specialist, becoming a research project coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior research specialist has an average salary of $65,071, which is higher than the $48,683 average annual salary of a research project coordinator.
The top three skills for a senior research specialist include data collection, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a research project coordinator are data collection, patients, and project management.
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $65,071 | $48,683 |
| Hourly rate | $31.28 | $23.41 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,586 | 67,800 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Senior research specialists are professionals who manage a team of junior research specialists that develop objectives and design research projects and proposals. These senior specialists are required to conduct scientific experiments and perform data collection to provide test evaluation and research results. They are required to propose new techniques that could improve the research quality and productivity of the team while assisting in setting up new equipment. Senior research specialists must also develop standard operating procedures while adhering to the company's policies and safety guidelines to ensure safety in their workplace.
Research Project Coordinators take on a lead role in maintaining and creating processes that support the execution of a research project. Their duties include researching governance requirements, preparing for contract bidding, manage budgeting of a project to meet a specified timeline, and present findings of a project to all stakeholders involved. The Research Project Coordinator will also support administrative tasks, including producing corporate reports, organizing committee meetings, and developing a research database to track active milestones achieved.
Senior research specialists and research project coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $65,071 | $48,683 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $99,000 | Between $36,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Middletown, CT |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | VMware | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior research specialist and a research project coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior research specialists' and research project coordinators' demographics:
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.3% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |