Chemistry research assistant vs graduate research student

The differences between chemistry research assistants and graduate research students can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemistry research assistant has an average salary of $55,140, which is higher than the $34,658 average annual salary of a graduate research student.

The top three skills for a chemistry research assistant include lab notebook, laboratory equipment and nuclear magnetic resonance. The most important skills for a graduate research student are lab equipment, laboratory equipment, and python.

Chemistry research assistant vs graduate research student overview

	Chemistry Research Assistant	Graduate Research Student
Yearly salary	$55,140	$34,658
Hourly rate	$26.51	$16.66
Growth rate	9%	19%
Number of jobs	51,991	58,921
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	2	-

Chemistry research assistant vs graduate research student salary

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

	Chemistry Research Assistant	Graduate Research Student
Average salary	$55,140	$34,658
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $91,000	Between $19,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Shrewsbury, MA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Genentech	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between chemistry research assistant and graduate research student education

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

	Chemistry Research Assistant	Graduate Research Student
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Harvard University	Stanford University

Chemistry research assistant vs graduate research student demographics

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

	Chemistry Research Assistant	Graduate Research Student
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between chemistry research assistant and graduate research student duties and responsibilities

Chemistry research assistant example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Characterize magnitude and longevity of treatments using SEM, contact angle, FTIR, ATR/FTIR, and bubble point measurements.
Experience with ICP-OES, GFAAS, XRD and GC-MS instrumentation.
Analyse synthesis products via GC-MS and H1NMR.
Perform mathematical calculations, dilutions and the usage of HPLC systems.
Characterize the structure of cathode material using TGA XRD SEM techniques.

Graduate research student example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Conduct molecular and cellular biology research techniques including DNA, RNA and protein isolation and analysis
Assist in organic chemistry laboratory on synthesis of molecule that behaves as fluorescent switch with cation binding properties
Perform Parkinson's psychological test on undergraduate students at UCLA and analyze data using statistical analysis software SPSS.
Analyze data using SAS statistical software, and map populations using GIS.
Summarize statistics from SAS outputs for USDA research grant investigating WIC and food insecurity.

Chemistry research assistant vs graduate research student skills

Common chemistry research assistant skills

Lab Notebook, 10%
Laboratory Equipment, 10%
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, 9%
Organic Synthesis, 8%
Column Chromatography, 5%
Method Development, 4%

Common graduate research student skills

Lab Equipment, 11%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Python, 6%
C++, 5%
Chemistry, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

Chemistry Research Assistant vs. similar jobs

Chemistry Research Assistant related careers

Chemistry Research Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Chemistry Research Assistant
Chemistry Research Assistant vs Graduate Research Student

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs