Chemistry laboratory assistant vs laboratory research assistant

The differences between chemistry laboratory assistants and laboratory research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a chemistry laboratory assistant and a laboratory research assistant. Additionally, a laboratory research assistant has an average salary of $36,537, which is higher than the $30,971 average annual salary of a chemistry laboratory assistant.

The top three skills for a chemistry laboratory assistant include lab equipment, lab safety and chemistry lab. The most important skills for a laboratory research assistant are data collection, patients, and laboratory equipment.

Chemistry laboratory assistant vs laboratory research assistant overview

	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant	Laboratory Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$30,971	$36,537
Hourly rate	$14.89	$17.57
Growth rate	4%	17%
Number of jobs	40,180	87,343
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a chemistry laboratory assistant do?

Chemical Laboratory Assistants are professionals who help researchers and scientists in performing lab experiments and tests. Their tasks involve the maintenance, cleanliness, or sterilization of laboratory equipment or instruments. They perform physical or chemical laboratory tests assisting scientists in the quantitative or qualitative analyses of liquids, gaseous materials, and solids. The necessary skills and knowledge for this job include chemistry, lab reporting, chemical solutions, and safety procedures.

What does a laboratory research assistant do?

A laboratory research assistant is an individual who performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. Laboratory research assistants design and conduct experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. They must write detailed reports of their research and experiments and then deliver these reports in written and verbal forms. Laboratory research assistants may also work in different settings such as medical facilities and pharmaceutical companies.

Chemistry laboratory assistant vs laboratory research assistant salary

Chemistry laboratory assistants and laboratory research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average salary	$30,971	$36,537
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $58,000	Between $24,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Hartford, CT	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Pace University	New York University
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between chemistry laboratory assistant and laboratory research assistant education

There are a few differences between a chemistry laboratory assistant and a laboratory research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant	Laboratory Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	Harvard University

Chemistry laboratory assistant vs laboratory research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between chemistry laboratory assistants' and laboratory research assistants' demographics:

	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between chemistry laboratory assistant and laboratory research assistant duties and responsibilities

Chemistry laboratory assistant example responsibilities.

Comfort frighten patients and maintain an exceptionally bright professional demeanor to accomplish a procedure that makes most people very uncomfortable.
Prepare buffer solutions, separate DNA, dissect baby mice, and perform general lab procedures.
Facilitate placement and organization of equipment for new laboratory including HPLC, GC-MS, UV-VIS, and DSC.
Maintain GC/FID, GC/MS and LC/MS systems.
Purify total RNA out of scallop muscle tissue.
Maintain proper records and documentation of DNA sequencing products.

Laboratory research assistant example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Maintain microbial culture and isolate and purify bacterial and viral DNA and RNA to study the genome of common pathogenic bacteria.
Perform protein extraction on larvae.
Perform biological assays, including ELISA and RT-PCR.
Gain extensive MLST, RT-PCR, conventional PCR, primer design and gel-electrophoresis experience.

Chemistry laboratory assistant vs laboratory research assistant skills

Common chemistry laboratory assistant skills

Lab Equipment, 39%
Lab Safety, 13%
Chemistry Lab, 6%
Lab Experiments, 4%
Lab Reports, 3%
Analytical Chemistry, 2%

Common laboratory research assistant skills

Data Collection, 5%
Patients, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Lab Procedures, 5%
Laboratory Techniques, 5%
Molecular Biology, 4%

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Chemistry Laboratory Assistant
Chemistry Laboratory Assistant vs Laboratory Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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