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The differences between graduate researchers and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research fellow has an average salary of $53,823, 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 a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Graduate Researcher | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $32,346 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $15.55 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 17,313 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Graduate researchers and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Researcher | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $32,346 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $15,000 And $68,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a graduate researcher and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Researcher | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between graduate researchers' and research fellows' demographics:
| Graduate Researcher | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |