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Assistant project scientist vs research assistant

The differences between assistant project scientists and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an assistant project scientist, becoming a research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant project scientist has an average salary of $67,978, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.

The top three skills for an assistant project scientist include data analysis, research projects and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.

Assistant project scientist vs research assistant overview

Assistant Project ScientistResearch Assistant
Yearly salary$67,978$42,896
Hourly rate$32.68$20.62
Growth rate17%19%
Number of jobs53,86851,080
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4138
Years of experience42

Assistant project scientist vs research assistant salary

Assistant project scientists and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant Project ScientistResearch Assistant
Average salary$67,978$42,896
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $86,000Between $28,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CANew Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying stateTennesseeNew Jersey
Best paying companySnyder LangstonJPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industryEducationHealth Care

Differences between assistant project scientist and research assistant education

There are a few differences between an assistant project scientist and a research assistant in terms of educational background:

Assistant Project ScientistResearch Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBiochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular BiologyPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaHarvard University

Assistant project scientist vs research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between assistant project scientists' and research assistants' demographics:

Assistant Project ScientistResearch Assistant
Average age4138
Gender ratioMale, 58.2% Female, 41.8%Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 36.0% White, 44.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between assistant project scientist and research assistant duties and responsibilities

Assistant project scientist example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
  • Learned to develop and perform ELISA assays.
  • Perform ELISA assay to identify the potential inhibitor from different natural products sources obtain from NCI
  • Participate in laboratory and clinical research design to provide clinically-relevant insights into blood cell formation and function in cancer patients.
  • Discover the contribution of unique immune cell population towards fibrosis and peritonitis.

Research assistant example responsibilities.

  • Update twitter profile and manage social media campaign.
  • Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
  • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
  • Learned many laboratory techniques, assays, and protocols; western blot, real-time PCR, tick collection, DNA extraction.
  • Analyze the effects of estrogen on various tissues using molecular biology techniques such as RT-PCR, RNA and DNA extractions.
  • Gain familiarity with research terminology, development procedures, data collection and management, and IRB considerations.
  • Show more

Assistant project scientist vs research assistant skills

Common assistant project scientist skills
  • Data Analysis, 15%
  • Research Projects, 10%
  • Molecular Biology, 8%
  • Cell Biology, 7%
  • Scientific Journals, 7%
  • CRISPR, 5%
Common research assistant skills
  • Patients, 9%
  • Lab Equipment, 9%
  • Data Collection, 8%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 5%
  • Research Projects, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%

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