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The differences between graduate student assistants and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant research scientist has an average salary of $62,780, which is higher than the $37,164 average annual salary of a graduate student assistant.
The top three skills for a graduate student assistant include cell culture, R and chemistry. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Graduate Student Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,164 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $17.87 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 20,764 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Graduate student assistants are graduate students who are employed as support personnel in universities. They assist professors as teaching assistants, research assistants, or aides, depending on their assigned instructions. Their duties include assisting professors in administrative tasks, organizing undergraduate events, and conducting research as well as analyzing data. During the assistantship period, instead of wages, they are given a stipend as compensation to the service provided. This graduate assistantship gives graduate students relevant experience and more employment options in the future.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Graduate student assistants and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Student Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $37,164 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $64,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Security LLC | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a graduate student assistant and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Student Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between graduate student assistants' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Graduate Student Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |