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The differences between senior scientists and research fellows 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 research fellow. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a senior scientist include patients, data analysis and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Senior Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $106,672 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $51.28 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,712 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Senior scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $106,672 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $153,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a senior scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Senior Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Senior Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |