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The differences between visiting researchers 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 visiting researcher and a research scientist. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $68,912 average annual salary of a visiting researcher.
The top three skills for a visiting researcher include python, java and climate. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Visiting Researcher | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $68,912 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $33.13 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 14,622 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A visiting researcher is usually a postdoc, assistant, or associate professor who wants to carry out research or perform other professional development activity in an institution, and so they either visit or spend sabbaticals there. Their duties are largely dependent on the institution. However, they may be required to make presentations about your research during their stay. They may also be expected to contribute actively to on-going activities in any of the programs.
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.
Visiting researchers and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visiting Researcher | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $68,912 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $115,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a visiting researcher and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Visiting Researcher | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Physics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between visiting researchers' and research scientists' demographics:
| Visiting Researcher | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 28.3% White, 51.1% 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% |