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Staff associate of research vs research scientist

The differences between staff associate of research and research 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 staff associate of research and a research scientist. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $64,982 average annual salary of a staff associate of research.

The top three skills for a staff associate of research include patients, data collection and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.

Staff associate of research vs research scientist overview

Staff Associate Of ResearchResearch Scientist
Yearly salary$64,982$89,998
Hourly rate$31.24$43.27
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs120,09693,013
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

What does a staff associate of research do?

A staff associate of research is responsible for performing and conducting research studies to support the research department of an organization or educational institution. Staff associates of research gather data from field investigation, verify its accuracy, and write reports of findings according to research requirements and methodologies. They also contribute significant areas of study according to market demands and public needs. A staff associate of research must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in coding information on the database and revising content as needed.

What does a research scientist do?

The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.

Staff associate of research vs research scientist salary

Staff associate of research and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Staff Associate Of ResearchResearch Scientist
Average salary$64,982$89,998
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $92,000Between $58,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CityOak Ridge, TNMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateConnecticutCalifornia
Best paying companyNVIDIALyft
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between staff associate of research and research scientist education

There are a few differences between a staff associate of research and a research scientist in terms of educational background:

Staff Associate Of ResearchResearch Scientist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaDuke University

Staff associate of research vs research scientist demographics

Here are the differences between staff associate of research' and research scientists' demographics:

Staff Associate Of ResearchResearch Scientist
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 48.1% Female, 51.9%Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 28.8% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between staff associate of research and research scientist duties and responsibilities

Staff associate of research example responsibilities.

  • Manage a NIH grant study using MRI to determine relationship between bone and cartilage in osteoarthritic knees.
  • Manage a clinical pharmaceutical trial attempting to improve attention and behavior in Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive impairment.
  • Introduce new mutations into DNA vectors using PCR and other techniques, test the mutations with gel electrophoresis.
  • Complete data collection from various clinical populations including patients with traumatic brain injury and epilepsy.
  • Perform fermentation experiments, enzymatic assays, gel electrophoresis, RNA isolation and purification and HPLC testing.
  • Test samples for different studies using ELISA kits and NanoDrop spectrophotometer.
  • Show more

Research scientist example responsibilities.

  • Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
  • Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
  • Used real-time PCR and DNA sequencing to troubleshoot and validate SNP base and gene expression assays.
  • Prepare clear technical presentations to NIH department heads in annual seminars.
  • Analyze chromatin dynamics during primordial germ cell specification with a CRISPR mouse model.
  • Identify impurities in final drug by LCMS and reject impurities with ethanol/water swish.
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Staff associate of research vs research scientist skills

Common staff associate of research skills
  • Patients, 7%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Molecular Biology, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 5%
  • Data Entry, 4%
Common research scientist skills
  • Python, 11%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Patients, 6%
  • C++, 6%
  • Research Projects, 6%
  • Chemistry, 5%

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