How To Become A Staff Research Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a staff research scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Betsy Smith,

Daniel Patten Ph.D.

A staff research scientist investigates the various characteristics and life cycles of some disease-carrying organisms. They also determine the effective treatment methods for those infected by the diseases.

The scientists use different methods to investigate and conclude their findings. These may include laboratory tests as well as trend tracking in various communities. Hence, a staff research scientist does not only study disease transmission but also effective treatments.

The research scientist must possess valuable organizational skills, strong analytical skills, outstanding interpersonal skills, and attention to detail. They must have a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and, if it is possible, a doctorate in either biology, chemistry, physical science, or any related field. A research scientist earns about $76,000 per annum.

What general advice would you give to a staff research scientist?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreStaff Research ScientistUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $106,793

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 31.61%

Black or African American 6.16%

Hispanic or Latino 9.35%

Unknown 4.04%

White 48.69%

Gender

female 35.26%

male 64.74%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a staff research scientist

Explore staff research scientist education requirements

Most common staff research scientist degrees

Bachelor's

52.7 %

Doctorate

26.6 %

Master's

18.5 %

Start to develop specific staff research scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
QC	8.68%
HPLC	8.21%
Product Development	7.49%
Cell Biology	5.54%
CRISPR	5.22%

Complete relevant staff research scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff research scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff research scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff research scientist resumes.

Research staff research scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Establish critical metrics for HPLC and GC analysis of raw materials, intermediates and process products.
Perform QC of final products by analytical chromatography, LC/MS and MALDI-MS before being deliver to final users.
Suggest modifications to the procedures that would help them to solve their HPLC instrument or method relate issues.

Prepare your staff research scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff research scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff research scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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