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The differences between staff research scientists and senior research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a staff research scientist, becoming a senior research associate takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a staff research scientist has an average salary of $106,793, which is higher than the $72,618 average annual salary of a senior research associate.
The top three skills for a staff research scientist include QC, HPLC and product development. The most important skills for a senior research associate are patients, data analysis, and CRISPR.
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $106,793 | $72,618 |
| Hourly rate | $51.34 | $34.91 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 154,687 | 58,903 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
A Senior Research Associate works closely with research team members to implement research ideas. They diagnose, solve system/software problems, and install application software according to research needs.
Staff research scientists and senior research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $106,793 | $72,618 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $159,000 | Between $51,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Upstart Network | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a staff research scientist and a senior research associate in terms of educational background:
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Research Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between staff research scientists' and senior research associates' demographics:
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Research Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% | Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |