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The differences between economic 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 an economic research assistant and a research assistant. Additionally, an economic research assistant has an average salary of $59,920, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.
The top three skills for an economic research assistant include BLS, data collection and statistical data. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Economic Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $59,920 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $28.81 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 47,035 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Working alongside economists and social scientists, an economic research assistant delves deeper into the principles, evolution, and current trends in the economy. They help develop surveys and polls that might help get citizens' thoughts on the economy and market. They must have ample knowledge of computers, data entry, and basic arithmetic and statistics to input data and acquire results immediately. They work to assist economists in providing citizens real-time reports on societal and economic trends, and market exchanges.
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.
Economic research assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Economic Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $59,920 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $101,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The George Washington University | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an economic research assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Economic Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Economics | Psychology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between economic research assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Economic Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 8% | 8% |