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The differences between cancer researchers and graduate researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cancer researcher has an average salary of $73,896, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.
The top three skills for a cancer researcher include patients, clinical research and clinical trials. The most important skills for a graduate researcher are R, cell culture, and research projects.
| Cancer Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $73,896 | $32,346 |
| Hourly rate | $35.53 | $15.55 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 24,199 | 17,313 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A cancer researcher is a medical scientist who devotes their time working at laboratories to study and discover ways to diagnose and treat cancer, saving countless people's lives in the process. Their duties usually include gathering and analyzing samples through basic or complex laboratory processes, studying existing cases from people of all ages, organizing specimens and instruments, coordinating with fellow experts, conducting experiments, and maintaining extensive records. Moreover, as a cancer researcher, it is essential to keep an open communication line with fellow researchers, collaborating efforts for a smooth workflow.
A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor. In some cases, graduate researchers also conduct field investigations and analyze other research publications to verify data accuracy. They prepare reports, share recommendations, and keep an organized database for research records. A graduate researcher must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as this task requires interaction with the researchers and writing duties.
Cancer researchers and graduate researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cancer Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average salary | $73,896 | $32,346 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $117,000 | Between $15,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a cancer researcher and a graduate researcher in terms of educational background:
| Cancer Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between cancer researchers' and graduate researchers' demographics:
| Cancer Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |