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The differences between technical scientists and associate 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 technical scientist and an associate scientist. Additionally, a technical scientist has an average salary of $90,867, which is higher than the $76,461 average annual salary of an associate scientist.
The top three skills for a technical scientist include molecular biology, GMP and data analysis. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Technical Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $90,867 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $43.69 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 112,408 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Technical Scientist is responsible for using established literature on laboratory techniques and basic scientific experimentation to improve processes and products. Their duties include developing solutions for routine and non-routine problems, evaluating workflow progress against objectives, inspect scientific data, and present laboratory results, and contribute to the implementation of new processes within a team. They must ensure compliance with safe working practice, quality standards, and its relevant environment and risk management system workplace guidelines. A Technical Scientist must have advanced knowledge in data analysis tools such as spreadsheets and have well-rounded communication skills for effective presentation to a wide demographic.
An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.
Technical scientists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $90,867 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $125,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical scientist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between technical scientists' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Technical Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |