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The differences between senior scientists and principal scientists 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 scientist and a principal scientist. Additionally, a principal scientist has an average salary of $119,982, which is higher than the $106,672 average annual salary of a senior scientist.
The top three skills for a senior scientist include patients, data analysis and molecular biology. The most important skills for a principal scientist are oncology, data analysis, and drug discovery.
| Senior Scientist | Principal Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,672 | $119,982 |
| Hourly rate | $51.28 | $57.68 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,712 | 80,899 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
A Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.
Senior scientists and principal scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Scientist | Principal Scientist | |
| Average salary | $106,672 | $119,982 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $153,000 | Between $84,000 And $169,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior scientist and a principal scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Scientist | Principal Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior scientists' and principal scientists' demographics:
| Senior Scientist | Principal Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |