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The differences between doctoral research assistants and professional 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 doctoral research assistant and a professional research assistant. Additionally, a professional research assistant has an average salary of $58,202, which is higher than the $56,458 average annual salary of a doctoral research assistant.
The top three skills for a doctoral research assistant include data collection, research projects and PI. The most important skills for a professional research assistant are research projects, data collection, and patients.
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $56,458 | $58,202 |
| Hourly rate | $27.14 | $27.98 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 53,091 | 91,813 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Doctoral research assistants and professional research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $56,458 | $58,202 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $77,000 | Between $38,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Siemens |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a doctoral research assistant and a professional research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between doctoral research assistants' and professional research assistants' demographics:
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |