Salary Trends for Research Scientists in India: 2023

From pharmacology to meteorology, the role of a Research Scientist across diverse domains implies its significance in discovering and developing astonishing technologies. These individuals are relentlessly working towards acquiring proficiency in their fields, aiming to improve the quality of life on our planet with their consistent discoveries. 

Considering an estimated growth of 17% in the medical and 21% in the computer science field, research scientists are on their way to becoming a booming career option for global science enthusiasts. 

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A detailed glance through the roles and Research Scientist salary figures across regions can help you learn and make a conscious choice. 

Let’s take a look!

Decoding the Role of Research Scientists

As introduced, a Research Scientist develops and discovers insightful scientific findings using specialised approaches. There are two types of Research Scientists- Theoretical and Experimental. 

A Theoretical Research Scientist works on equations, whereas an experimental researcher experiments with those equations. Both these classifications are linked to each other as one catalyses the growth of the other. 

Research Scientists are open to exploring diverse disciplines as their field of specialisation- be it meteorology, pharmaceutical, data sciences, and many more! These individuals run frequent research and special studies on their concentration, reaping valuable insights to fuel trending technologies towards better quality results. 

Here’s what their role usually entails.

• Planning research and executing tests
• Evaluating received data and making reports for future references
• Ensuring the availability of required tools and technologies to run tests
• Supervising trials run by nascent researchers
• Ensuring quality parameters are met
• Seeking or developing solutions for problems
• Writing research papers, reports, and summaries to compile experiment findings

Why is the Research Scientist’s Salary High in India?

India is a developing country accommodating more than a billion people within its borders. Many top-class multinational companies are setting up offices here to have their share in modern India. The country is digitising at a faster pace than ever. Companies need Data Science students to help them make this change. 

A Research Scientist is a sub-branch of Data Science; hence, high salaries are no surprise. A Research Scientist’s salary in India can range between INR 4 LPA to INR 8 LPA, which is significantly higher than a lot of related professions. This salary expectancy depends on the experience one has in the field; the more experience, the better the salary.

Research Scientist Job Roles and Salaries

A Research Scientist’s salary in India usually varies following their choice of field and job roles. Let’s take a look at some of these figures.

Computer Scientist salary in India across varying domains tends to be higher than other domains, reaching around INR 10-53 lakhs per annum, with the figure consistently growing with changing trends. 

Factors Affecting Research Scientist Salary in India

The factors affecting a Research Scientist’s salary in India are as follows:

1. Job roles 

Depending on a Research Scientist’s specialised knowledge, the job roles and type of work they do is specified. These factors affect the salary of Research Scientists regarding their job roles. For instance, the growth of big data is fueling the prominence of data scientists in the field, leading to better lucrative opportunities. 

2. Experience 

Based on the experience Research Scientists gather, their salary is determined. In comparison to a fresher Research Scientist with no experience, an experienced Research Scientist is preferred by most companies. Companies look for individuals with experience for employing Research Scientists as they won’t have to teach them anything.

3. Location 

The location of the company matters too. If the company is located in the capital state of the country, the salaries offered will be much higher. Most people don’t realise that location plays a significant role in job recruitment. Here’s how the salary trend changes with a location change.

4. Skills 

Specific skills enable research scientists to perform better than their colleagues. These may include in-demand skills like project management, research analysis, and product development. Let’s see how salaries vary due to specific skills.

Research Scientist Salary in Other Countries

Global organisations are seeking well-versed research scientists to work under their firms and bring value to their business processes. Following the growing requirement, a Research Scientist’s salary can stand at approximately USD 84,646 in the USA and GBP 37,000 in the UK. 

In northern countries like Russia, the salary is around RUB 2,22,728. On the other hand, in the gulf countries, it is around AED 2,05,000.

Future Scope of Research Scientists in India

Research Scientists in India and globally have a bright scope both now and in the future. As tech companies keep increasing, Research Scientists should forget about unemployment. The demand for Research Scientists will only increase over time. A report recently stated that in 10 years, Research Scientists’ demand would increase by 21%. 

On average, over 3,300 new openings are being created yearly to accommodate every Data Science student in a company. All these predictions project the bright future Research Scientists are going to have in the coming days.

How to Prepare for Research Scientist Interviews to Land the Best Jobs?

To prepare yourself for a Research Scientist interview, you must keep these points in mind:

• Always research the company
• Prepare sample interview questions

• Be confident in your answers

• Speak boldly

• Ask unique questions

• State your accomplishments, knowledge, and skills

• Be clear on why you want the job

• Show enthusiasm and interest in that job

• Convince them that you are the best

List of Research Scientist Companies

Many companies are employing Research Scientists, some of them are mentioned below:

1. Tata Consultancy Services – The average salary package of Tata Consultancy Services for Research Scientists is INR 14.8 lakhs per annum.
2. Amazon – Amazon offers its Research Scientists one of the highest average annual packages of INR 47.3 lakhs.
3. IBM – International Business Machines offers INR 43.9 lakhs as its annual average package to its Research Scientist employees.
4. Reliance industries – INR 9.7 lakh is the annual salary that Reliance industries offer its employees. 
5. Unilever – Unilever offers INR 25 lakhs as its average salary annually. 
6. Kimberly Clark – Kimberly Clark offers its Research Scientists INR 22 lakhs on an average annually.
7. Adobe – The average annual salary for a Research Scientist at Adobe can range between INR 45 lakhs – INR 1.2 Crore.

Eligibility Criteria to Become a Research Scientist

Graduating from a reputed institution with a minimum of 60% marks is mandatory to become a Research Scientist. In the case of further studies for masters, the minimum percentage changes to 65%. Having a degree closely related to the field helps. 

Usually, for courses involving Data Science, a master’s degree or a PhD is preferred. After completing your studies, you should apply for a reputed company as that will boost your career as a Research Scientist.

While additional diplomas, certification, and boot camp courses like Data Science Boot Camp from upGrad can be highly beneficial to boost your career towards unprecedented growth!

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Conclusion

Being one of the most challenging and interesting STEM disciplines, Research Science is a dream career path for many science aspirants. Fortunately, remuneration trends for Research Scientists justify the hard work skilled candidates put into their work. As the market is bound to transition through growth in the coming years, aspirants must start preparing to take over the role with honed skills; the best way to do so would be by upskilling!

upGrad’s Advanced Certificate Program in Data Science by IIIT-B can be your chance to make it possible! Leveraging faculty expertise, India’s top ed-tech platform exposes you to an immersive learning program, preparing you for the competitive domain that STEM careers can become over time. 

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