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The differences between senior scientists and staff 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 staff scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $93,941 average annual salary of a staff scientist.
The top three skills for a senior scientist include patients, data analysis and molecular biology. The most important skills for a staff scientist are data analysis, research projects, and molecular biology.
| Senior Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,672 | $93,941 |
| Hourly rate | $51.28 | $45.16 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 49,712 | 121,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Senior scientists and staff scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average salary | $106,672 | $93,941 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $153,000 | Between $63,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Etsy |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior scientist and a staff scientist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between senior scientists' and staff scientists' demographics:
| Senior Scientist | Staff Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |