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Staff scientist demographics and statistics in the US

Staff scientist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates staff scientist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our staff scientist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about staff scientists after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 36,064 staff scientists currently employed in the United States.
  • 32.2% of all staff scientists are women, while 67.8% are men.
  • The average staff scientist age is 40 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of staff scientists is White (53.6%), followed by Asian (26.5%), Hispanic or Latino (9.4%) and Black or African American (6.2%).
  • Staff scientists are most in-demand in San Diego, CA.
  • Redwood City, CA pays an annual average wage of $119,251, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women staff scientists earned 100% of what men earned.
  • California is the best state for staff scientists to live.
  • Staff scientists are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
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Staff scientist demographics by:

Staff scientist gender statistics

32.2% of staff scientists are women and 67.8% of staff scientists are men.
  • Male, 67.8%
  • Female, 32.2%

Staff scientist gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male67.8%
Female32.2%

Staff scientist gender pay gap

Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$91,496
female-income
Female income
$91,918

Staff scientist gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in staff scientist positions over time. Currently, 32.2% of staff scientists are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Staff scientist gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201071.61%28.39%
201168.54%31.46%
201273.80%26.20%
201369.89%30.11%
201470.76%29.24%
201571.50%28.50%
201667.57%32.43%
201769.63%30.37%
201868.45%31.55%
201966.90%33.10%
202066.72%33.28%
202167.85%32.15%

Staff scientist related jobs gender ratio

We compared staff scientists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, procurement forester and field agronomist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Animal Behaviorist18%82%
Chronic Disease Epidemiologist25%75%
Collector Of Aquarium Specimens27%73%
Staff Scientist68%32%
Forestry Consultant93%7%
Field Agronomist94%6%
Procurement Forester95%5%

Staff scientist demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among staff scientists is White, which makes up 53.6% of all staff scientists. Comparatively, 26.5% of staff scientists are Asian and 9.4% of staff scientists are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 53.6%
  • Asian, 26.5%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.4%
  • Black or African American, 6.2%
  • Unknown, 4.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%

Staff scientist race

Staff scientist racePercentages
White53.6%
Asian26.5%
Hispanic or Latino9.4%
Black or African American6.2%
Unknown4.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%

Staff scientist race and ethnicity over time

See how staff scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Staff scientist race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201056.86%5.08%29.06%6.49%
201155.62%5.50%29.53%7.14%
201256.43%5.30%28.70%6.89%
201357.02%5.39%27.31%7.63%
201456.70%5.73%27.91%6.65%
201556.82%5.18%28.70%6.60%
201656.19%4.97%27.50%8.79%
201756.32%5.83%27.00%7.71%
201855.43%5.59%27.86%7.84%
201956.82%5.24%27.06%8.21%
202054.95%4.85%27.35%9.12%
202153.62%6.23%26.51%9.43%

Staff scientist wage gap by race

According to our data, white staff scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino staff scientists have the lowest average salary at $88,939.
$94,000
$93,000
$92,000
$91,000
$90,000
$89,000
$88,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$91,117
White$93,204
Black or African American$91,517
Asian$92,765
Hispanic or Latino$88,939

Average staff scientist age

See how the average age of staff scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Staff scientist age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown4034
White3939
Black or African American38.540
Asian4038
Hispanic or Latino3736

Staff scientist age breakdown

The average age of staff scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the staff scientist population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Staff scientist age breakdown

Staff Scientist YearsPercentages
40+ years47%
30-40 years39%
20-30 years14%

Staff scientist educational attainment

The most common degree for staff scientists is bachelor's degree, with 60% of staff scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 24% and doctoral degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Doctorate, 24%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

Staff scientists by degree level

Staff scientist degreePercentages
Bachelor's60%
Doctorate24%
Master's13%
Associate3%
Other Degrees0%

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Staff scientist wage gap by degree level

According to the data, staff scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,829 annually. With a Master's degree, staff scientists earn a median annual income of $90,906 compared to $88,994 for staff scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
$97,000
$95,000
$93,000
$91,000
$89,000
$87,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$90,906
Bachelor's Degree$88,994
Doctorate Degree$95,829

Staff scientist employment statistics

Most staff scientists work for a private in the health care industry.

Company size where staff scientists work

Below, you can see the size of companies where staff scientists work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Staff scientist jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees6%
50 - 100 employees16%
100 - 500 employees24%
500 - 1,000 employees5%
1,000 - 10,000 employees25%
> 10,000 employees24%

Staff scientist jobs by company type

Employees with the staff scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most staff scientists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Staff scientist jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education12%
Public29%
Private50%
Government9%

Staff scientist jobs by industry

The most common industries for staff scientists are health care, technology and professional.

Health Care

Technology

Professional

Manufacturing

Education

Staff scientist turnover and employment statistics

Staff scientist unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for staff scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Staff scientist unemployment rate by year

YearStaff scientist unemployment rate
20102.36%
20112.60%
20123.20%
20132.82%
20142.34%
20152.18%
20162.71%
20172.30%
20182.40%
20191.58%
20202.14%
20211.42%

Average staff scientist tenure

The average staff scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,868 staff scientists resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Staff scientist tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year10%
1-2 years35%
3-4 years19%
5-7 years16%
8-10 years8%
11+ years13%

Staff scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of staff scientists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Land Management Supervisor8.40%63,842
Staff Scientist8.45%-
Bacteriologist9.74%477
Cotton Breeder19.06%203

Similar staff scientist jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Land Management Supervisor8.40%63,842
Bacteriologist9.74%477
Cotton Breeder19.06%203

Foreign languages spoken by staff scientists

The most common foreign language among staff scientists is Spanish at 27.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 15.1% and French is the third-most popular at 11.9%.
  • Spanish, 27.8%
  • Chinese, 15.1%
  • French, 11.9%
  • German, 11.1%
  • Japanese, 7.9%
  • Other, 26.2%

Staff scientist languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish27.8%
Chinese15.1%
French11.9%
German11.1%
Japanese7.9%
Other26.2%

Staff scientist jobs

Staff scientist location demographics

Where do staff scientists earn the most?

Staff scientists earn the most in California, where the average staff scientist salary is $110,167. The map here shows where staff scientists earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Staff Scientists?

By looking through more than 2,868 resumes, we found that the most popular places for staff scientists are San Diego, CA and Bethesda, MD.
Number of Staff Scientists

Staff scientist jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California7,585$110,167
2Massachusetts3,377$89,647
3Texas2,984$54,057
4New York2,922$85,731
5Pennsylvania2,621$81,460
6Illinois2,149$75,233
7Florida2,006$56,046
8New Jersey1,970$99,361
9Virginia1,814$83,609
10North Carolina1,567$81,988
11Washington1,477$75,571
12Maryland1,466$100,714
13Ohio1,352$78,365
14Georgia1,238$65,638
15Minnesota983$85,004
16Michigan917$79,277
17Missouri902$52,325
18Colorado875$61,489
19Oregon772$75,674
20Arizona768$84,579
21Indiana757$85,605
22Tennessee725$78,235
23Wisconsin711$84,027
24Connecticut533$108,599
25Utah525$65,893
26Alabama514$56,212
27South Carolina514$51,772
28Louisiana410$43,833
29Iowa406$59,108
30Kansas369$59,857
31Kentucky361$67,122
32Nevada317$86,004
33District of Columbia300$78,748
34New Mexico300$49,503
35New Hampshire277$75,074
36Arkansas271$65,361
37Nebraska259$61,763
38Oklahoma248$52,774
39Rhode Island238$95,517
40Maine233$92,166
41Idaho226$66,517
42Delaware217$98,828
43Montana191$79,571
44West Virginia173$66,208
45Mississippi155$53,004
46Vermont135$66,241
47Hawaii134$84,224
48South Dakota126$57,913
49North Dakota101$55,417
50Alaska99$51,686
51Wyoming81$72,387

Where are staff scientists in high demand?

Staff scientists are in high demand in San Diego, CA. There are currently 13 job openings for staff scientists here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country staff scientists are in the most demand.
Jobs openings

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