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The differences between senior research specialists and research technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior research specialist has an average salary of $65,071, which is higher than the $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a senior research specialist include data collection, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $65,071 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $31.28 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 57,586 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 37 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Senior research specialists and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $65,071 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $99,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | VMware | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior research specialist and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between senior research specialists' and research technicians' demographics:
| Senior Research Specialist | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 37 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |