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The differences between clinical research assistants and 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 clinical research assistant and a research assistant. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $39,837 average annual salary of a clinical research assistant.
The top three skills for a clinical research assistant include patients, informed consent and data collection. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Clinical Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,837 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $19.15 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 97,380 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Clinical research assistants are responsible for assisting with scientific studies and monitoring clinical trials. Other duties and responsibilities include ensuring compliance with clinical trial procedures and protocols, finding research subjects, and collecting and analyzing data. In addition, they are responsible for overseeing clinical site activities and preparing documentation, presentation, and correspondence on findings. They are also expected to prepare informed consent for clinical trials and conduct audits on research trials. The skills and qualifications required for this role include a bachelor's degree in psychology, science or related field, previous work experience, and excellent communication skills.
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.
Clinical research assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,837 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical research assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between clinical research assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Clinical Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 12.9% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 9% | 8% |