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The differences between technical scientists and research 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 a research scientist. Additionally, a technical scientist has an average salary of $90,867, which is higher than the $89,998 average annual salary of a research scientist.
The top three skills for a technical scientist include molecular biology, GMP and data analysis. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Technical Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $90,867 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $43.69 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 112,408 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Technical scientists and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $90,867 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $125,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a technical scientist and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between technical scientists' and research scientists' demographics:
| Technical Scientist | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |