Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between staff scientists and assistant research scientists 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 scientist, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a staff scientist has an average salary of $93,941, which is higher than the $62,780 average annual salary of an assistant research scientist.
The top three skills for a staff scientist include data analysis, research projects and molecular biology. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Staff Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $93,941 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $45.16 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 121,054 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Staff scientists and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $93,941 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $137,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Etsy | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a staff scientist and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Staff Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between staff scientists' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Staff Scientist | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |