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The differences between senior scientists and research assistant professors 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 scientist, becoming a research assistant professor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $73,455 average annual salary of a research assistant professor.
The top three skills for a senior scientist include patients, data analysis and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research assistant professor are research projects, biomedical, and research program.
| Senior Scientist | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $106,672 | $73,455 |
| Hourly rate | $51.28 | $35.31 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,712 | 62,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 research assistant professor works part-time at colleges or universities where they focus on conducting research and extensive studies. They typically work under the supervision and directives of a professor and perform support tasks such as gathering and analyzing samples through different scientific procedures, completing interviews and surveys, performing experiments and assessments, maintaining records, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Additionally, a research assistant professor may also teach undergraduates and participate in preparing activities and curriculum materials.
Senior scientists and research assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Scientist | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $106,672 | $73,455 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $153,000 | Between $52,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Stanford University |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior scientist and a research assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Scientist | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior scientists' and research assistant professors' demographics:
| Senior Scientist | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |