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The differences between biology laboratory assistants 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 a biology laboratory assistant, becoming a research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a biology laboratory assistant include lab equipment, biology laboratory and chemistry. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,240 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $16.46 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 48,958 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.
Biology laboratory assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,240 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $52,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgewater, MA | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a biology laboratory assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between biology laboratory assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% | 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 Percentage | 6% | 8% |