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The differences between staff research scientists and senior 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 senior scientist. Additionally, a staff research scientist has an average salary of $106,793, which is higher than the $106,672 average annual salary of a senior scientist.
The top three skills for a staff research scientist include QC, HPLC and product development. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,793 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $51.34 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 154,687 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 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.
Staff research scientists and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $106,793 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $159,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Upstart Network | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a staff research scientist and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between staff research scientists' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Staff Research Scientist | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |