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The differences between doctoral research assistants and research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a doctoral research assistant, becoming a research scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, 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 research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,458 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $27.14 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 53,091 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Doctoral research assistants and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $56,458 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $77,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a doctoral research assistant and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between doctoral research assistants' and research scientists' demographics:
| Doctoral Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |