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The differences between assistant professors and researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant professor and a researcher. Additionally, an assistant professor has an average salary of $87,099, which is higher than the $67,145 average annual salary of a researcher.
The top three skills for an assistant professor include patients, public health and pediatrics. The most important skills for a researcher are python, lab equipment, and C++.
| Assistant Professor | Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $87,099 | $67,145 |
| Hourly rate | $41.87 | $32.28 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 30,531 | 30,498 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assistant professor is an entry-level position who teaches in a university, conducts research, and assists senior professors. Assistant professors supervise undergraduate and graduate students at the same time provide professors and department heads with feedback on the progress of their students. To be effective in teaching and mentoring students, assistant professors must possess strong communication skills with advanced knowledge of their field. They must also have a Ph. D degree in the relevant academic discipline as well as teaching experience in a university setting.
A researcher is responsible for collating, organizing, and verifying necessary information for a specific subject. Researchers' duties include analyzing data, gathering and comparing resources, ensuring facts, sharing findings with the whole research team, adhering to required methodologies, performing fieldwork as needed, and keeping critical information confidential. Researchers must be knowledgeable about the current market trends and align findings with the research goals. A researcher must show strong communication skills, as well as strong attention to detail and time-management skills to meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Assistant professors and researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Professor | Researcher | |
| Average salary | $87,099 | $67,145 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $151,000 | Between $37,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | UT Medical Group, Inc. | Renaissance Learning |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant professor and a researcher in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Professor | Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between assistant professors' and researchers' demographics:
| Assistant Professor | Researcher | |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.4% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 8% |