Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between faculty 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 faculty research assistant and a professional research assistant. Additionally, a faculty research assistant has an average salary of $59,697, which is higher than the $58,202 average annual salary of a professional research assistant.
The top three skills for a faculty research assistant include research faculty, C++ and biomedical. The most important skills for a professional research assistant are research projects, data collection, and patients.
| Faculty Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $59,697 | $58,202 |
| Hourly rate | $28.70 | $27.98 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 56,780 | 91,813 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The main job of a faculty research assistant is to gather and log experimental data. Faculty research assistants analyze the statistical aspect of data sets. They prepare spreadsheets and graphs to portray research results. Their duties and responsibilities include the creation of posters and slides to aid researchers in presenting their findings. They need to develop skills in communication, technical, critical thinking, scheduling, and planning. Also, they must know how to maintain safety, quality, and infection control standards.
A professional research assistant works under the supervision of primary researchers leading research projects. Research assistants help the main researchers in different tasks supporting research activities. These tasks vary based on research conducted and their field. The assistants prepare the interview questions and provide a results summary. They respond to emails, participate in project meetings, and prepare progress reports. Skills necessary for this job include communication skills, critical thinking, attention to detail, scheduling, and planning.
Faculty research assistants and professional research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Faculty Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $59,697 | $58,202 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $92,000 | Between $38,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Siemens | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a faculty research assistant and a professional research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Faculty Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between faculty research assistants' and professional research assistants' demographics:
| Faculty Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 52.8% 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% |