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The differences between graduate assistants and teaching & research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a teaching & research assistant has an average salary of $36,796, which is higher than the $31,704 average annual salary of a graduate assistant.
The top three skills for a graduate assistant include computer lab, undergraduate courses and research projects. The most important skills for a teaching & research assistant are lab reports, laboratory sessions, and organic chemistry.
| Graduate Assistant | Teaching & Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,704 | $36,796 |
| Hourly rate | $15.24 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | 20% | - |
| Number of jobs | 3,026 | 48,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Graduate assistants are graduate or postgraduate students in a university who work part-time for a researcher, professor, or department in the university. They do a variety of tasks that would help expose them more to the field they are doing their studies in. Graduate assistants help researchers by conducting interviews, testing research tools, encoding and analyzing data, creating presentation materials, and managing the research schedule. They help professors in preparing for lessons, creating and updating presentation materials, and even trying their hand in teaching the professor's students. They help university departments in administrative, clerical, research, and any other task that may be needed.
The job of teaching and research assistants is to support faculty members in course material preparation and instruction. They often work in educational institutions such as universities and colleges. They perform varied duties and responsibilities that may include organizing visual aids and reference materials, conducting discussion groups, laboratory sessions, and seminars, and grading term papers, exams, and laboratory reports. Teaching and research assistants may also teach sections, conduct tutorials, and assist in overseeing study projects. The skills and qualifications required for this role may include being enrolled in a doctoral or master's study program and excellent communication skills.
Graduate assistants and teaching & research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Assistant | Teaching & Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,704 | $36,796 |
| Salary range | Between $11,000 And $85,000 | Between $20,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Sotheby's Institute of Art | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a graduate assistant and a teaching & research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Assistant | Teaching & Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between graduate assistants' and teaching & research assistants' demographics:
| Graduate Assistant | Teaching & Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.6% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |