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The differences between biology laboratory assistants and student 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 student research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a biology laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,240, which is higher than the $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a biology laboratory assistant include lab equipment, biology laboratory and chemistry. The most important skills for a student research assistant are lab equipment, student research, and data collection.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,240 | $27,475 |
| Hourly rate | $16.46 | $13.21 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 48,958 | 59,758 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
A student research assistant is responsible for supporting the school's research department on conducting various research tasks using the techniques and resources provided by the supervising faculty. Student research assistants collect and verify research data, interpret and document findings using research methodologies, organize and prepare research materials, write research reports, and provide recommendations to improve research strategies and techniques. A student research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask and be a fast-learner to interpret data within a specific time.
Biology laboratory assistants and student research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,240 | $27,475 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $52,000 | Between $19,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgewater, MA | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a biology laboratory assistant and a student research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between biology laboratory assistants' and student research assistants' demographics:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |