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Biology instructor vs research associate professor

The differences between biology instructors and research associate professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a biology instructor and a research associate professor. Additionally, a research associate professor has an average salary of $94,301, which is higher than the $58,811 average annual salary of a biology instructor.

The top three skills for a biology instructor include anatomy, student learning and lab experiments. The most important skills for a research associate professor are public health, biomedical, and research projects.

Biology instructor vs research associate professor overview

Biology InstructorResearch Associate Professor
Yearly salary$58,811$94,301
Hourly rate$28.27$45.34
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs37,54057,738
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a biology instructor do?

A Biology Instructor is a teacher responsible for educating students on biology either in middle school, high school, or at a college level. They are responsible for creating a learning curriculum that covers scientific investigations and lab experiments. They must also design student assessment programs, liaise with parents on student growth, and create school policies and regulations. Other duties include coordinating field trips, attending staff meetings, and establishing student rapport.

What does a research associate professor do?

The work of a research associate professor is conducting research, publishing papers, and attending conferences. The professor is also tasked with the job of attending academic events and networking with other researchers and field experts, as well as supervising, advising, and mentoring teaching assistants and graduate students.

Biology instructor vs research associate professor salary

Biology instructors and research associate professors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Biology InstructorResearch Associate Professor
Average salary$58,811$94,301
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $91,000Between $58,000 And $151,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CASalt Lake City, UT
Highest paying stateCaliforniaUtah
Best paying companyKern Community College DistrictUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School
Best paying industryEducationHealth Care

Differences between biology instructor and research associate professor education

There are a few differences between a biology instructor and a research associate professor in terms of educational background:

Biology InstructorResearch Associate Professor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common majorBiologyChemistry
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Biology instructor vs research associate professor demographics

Here are the differences between biology instructors' and research associate professors' demographics:

Biology InstructorResearch Associate Professor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 45.9% Female, 54.1%Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.6% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between biology instructor and research associate professor duties and responsibilities

Biology instructor example responsibilities.

  • Manage studies to meet FDA approval of new medical devices, drugs, materials, and techniques.
  • Manage externally fund genome sequencing projects as a principal investigator.
  • Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
  • Repair, maintain, and oversee use of FT-IR, NMR, GC/MS, UV-Vis, and GC instrumentation.
  • Design specific PCR primers using Oligo software.
  • Create a laboratory program for this course.
  • Show more

Research associate professor example responsibilities.

  • Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
  • Conduct NIH sponsor studies on HIV/AIDS in African-American and Hispanic populations in Alabama.
  • Train students in electron microscopy, laser safety, vacuum technology, chemistry, instrumentation, and other laboratory procedures.
  • Identify glucose-induced increases in the phosphorylation levels of interest proteins, including metabolic enzymes and transcription factors by analyzing phosphoproteomics data.

Biology instructor vs research associate professor skills

Common biology instructor skills
  • Anatomy, 14%
  • Student Learning, 7%
  • Lab Experiments, 7%
  • Biology Courses, 7%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • General Biology, 7%
Common research associate professor skills
  • Public Health, 15%
  • Biomedical, 12%
  • Research Projects, 11%
  • SAS, 6%
  • NIH, 6%
  • Data Collection, 6%

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