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The differences between computational biologists and student research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a computational biologist, becoming a student research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a computational biologist has an average salary of $61,449, which is higher than the $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a computational biologist include python, machine learning and next-generation sequencing. The most important skills for a student research assistant are lab equipment, student research, and data collection.
| Computational Biologist | Student Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $61,449 | $27,475 |
| Hourly rate | $29.54 | $13.21 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 12,839 | 59,758 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
A computational biologist is an expert in computational management, high-performance computing, data algorithm, and biological and statistical processes. You study to understand biological systems using computational theoretical principles. Your duties typically include doing research and computer programming, developing a theory, mathematical models, and computer simulations to organize and analyze your findings, and building databases. To become a successful computational biologist, you must have extensive knowledge of bioinformatics, biochemistry, and computational biology, excellent communication skills, and problem-solving skills.
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.
Computational biologists and student research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computational Biologist | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $61,449 | $27,475 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $99,000 | Between $19,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a computational biologist and a student research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Computational Biologist | Student Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between computational biologists' and student research assistants' demographics:
| Computational Biologist | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 10% | 8% |