Post job

Graduate researcher vs phd researcher

The differences between graduate researchers and phd researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an phd researcher has an average salary of $51,634, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.

The top three skills for a graduate researcher include R, cell culture and research projects. The most important skills for an phd researcher are python, chemistry, and research projects.

Graduate researcher vs phd researcher overview

Graduate ResearcherPHD Researcher
Yearly salary$32,346$51,634
Hourly rate$15.55$24.82
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs17,31319,736
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Doctoral Degree, 40%
Average age4441
Years of experience-4

What does a graduate researcher do?

A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor. In some cases, graduate researchers also conduct field investigations and analyze other research publications to verify data accuracy. They prepare reports, share recommendations, and keep an organized database for research records. A graduate researcher must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as this task requires interaction with the researchers and writing duties.

What does an phd researcher do?

The primary job of a Ph.D. researcher is to plan and conduct experiments and analyzing their outcome. You will collect, organize, and analyze data and opinions to solve issues and predict trends. Other tasks you will perform include doing fieldwork to collect samples, writing reports, research papers, and reviews, and organizing materials testing. In addition, you need to liaise with research and production staff, develop ways to resolve problems, and supervise junior research staff.

Graduate researcher vs phd researcher salary

Graduate researchers and phd researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graduate ResearcherPHD Researcher
Average salary$32,346$51,634
Salary rangeBetween $15,000 And $68,000Between $35,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City-Novato, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between graduate researcher and phd researcher education

There are a few differences between a graduate researcher and an phd researcher in terms of educational background:

Graduate ResearcherPHD Researcher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Doctoral Degree, 40%
Most common majorChemistryChemistry
Most common collegeCornell UniversityDuke University

Graduate researcher vs phd researcher demographics

Here are the differences between graduate researchers' and phd researchers' demographics:

Graduate ResearcherPHD Researcher
Average age4441
Gender ratioMale, 57.3% Female, 42.7%Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 32.5% White, 47.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage6%8%

Differences between graduate researcher and phd researcher duties and responsibilities

Graduate researcher example responsibilities.

  • Lead the in-vitro biophysical and biochemical characterization of homologous recombination and investigate structure-function effects of mutant enzymes.
  • Analyze the expression of MZF-1 gene using western blots and RT-PCR.
  • Train undergraduate, masters, and PhD-level students on HPLC and UPLC instruments.
  • Use of NMR, IR, and TLC to analyze product purity and identity.
  • Experience using GC/MS, LC/MS, and NMR to analyze molecules produce in the lab.
  • Create buffers, HPLC solvents, maintain laboratory notebooks, order chemical reagents and perform serial dilutions.
  • Show more

Phd researcher example responsibilities.

  • Manage and mentore graduate and undergraduate students in their physical chemistry relate studies and research projects on spin dynamics simulations.
  • Evaluate data employing GC/MS, gel electrophoresis, and UV/VIS spectroscopy.
  • Perform testing using gel electrophoresis as well as mixed and pour the gels used in testing
  • Optimize and redesign robotic components base on FEA for improve strength using ANSYS and SOLIDWORKS.
  • Coauthor an NIH grant proposal on DNA mismatch repair and malaria drug resistance (5R21AI072723-02).
  • Design a scent dispenser 3D model in SolidWorks and build a prototype by utilizing MasterCam and CNC machines.
  • Show more

Graduate researcher vs phd researcher skills

Common graduate researcher skills
  • R, 9%
  • Cell Culture, 8%
  • Research Projects, 6%
  • Protein Expression, 5%
  • Chemistry, 4%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
Common phd researcher skills
  • Python, 9%
  • Chemistry, 8%
  • Research Projects, 6%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Renewable Energy, 6%
  • C++, 5%

Browse education, training, and library jobs