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Staff research scientist vs scientist

The differences between staff research scientists and 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 research scientist and a scientist. Additionally, a staff research scientist has an average salary of $106,793, which is higher than the $97,344 average annual salary of a scientist.

The top three skills for a staff research scientist include QC, HPLC and product development. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.

Staff research scientist vs scientist overview

Staff Research ScientistScientist
Yearly salary$106,793$97,344
Hourly rate$51.34$46.80
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs154,68762,467
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

What does a staff research scientist do?

A staff research scientist is responsible for conducting and evaluating research. They may work in areas such as meteorology, geosciences, medical research, or pharmacology. They develop experiments, conduct them, and analyze data.

What does a scientist do?

A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.

Staff research scientist vs scientist salary

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

Staff Research ScientistScientist
Average salary$106,793$97,344
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $159,000Between $67,000 And $140,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARedwood City, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyUpstart NetworkAirbnb
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between staff research scientist and scientist education

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

Staff Research ScientistScientist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Southern California

Staff research scientist vs scientist demographics

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

Staff Research ScientistScientist
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 64.7% Female, 35.3%Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 31.6% White, 48.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between staff research scientist and scientist duties and responsibilities

Staff research scientist example 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.
  • Develop, validate and implement robust methods for pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity (ADA) and immunodepletion ELISAs, and cell based-bioassays.
  • Optimize sample prep/clean-up by precipitation, SPE, liquid-liquid extractions.
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Scientist example responsibilities.

  • Lead a cross-functional team to return an HIV combination product to market on random-access instrument.
  • Design the VERIS HIV-1 quantitative PCR assay which achieve Conformit Europ enne (CE) marking.
  • Manage an elemental analytical laboratory that include operating, maintaining and troubleshooting an ICP-OES, ICPMS, MXRF, and IC.
  • Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
  • Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
  • Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
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Staff research scientist vs scientist skills

Common staff research scientist skills
  • QC, 9%
  • HPLC, 8%
  • Product Development, 7%
  • Cell Biology, 6%
  • CRISPR, 5%
  • LCMS, 5%
Common scientist skills
  • Chemistry, 9%
  • Data Analysis, 7%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Molecular Biology, 4%
  • Cell Culture, 4%
  • Java, 3%

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