Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between graduate teaching assistants and graduate researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a graduate teaching assistant has an average salary of $44,994, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.
The top three skills for a graduate teaching assistant include lab experiments, laboratory sections and undergraduate courses. The most important skills for a graduate researcher are R, cell culture, and research projects.
| Graduate Teaching Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $44,994 | $32,346 |
| Hourly rate | $21.63 | $15.55 |
| Growth rate | - | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 12,598 | 17,313 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Graduate Teaching Assistant may work in Learning Facilities by teaching short courses under supervision or assist the Faculty Staff in various aspects such as research. They can also lend a hand in preparing and creating learning materials such as presentations, handouts, and other teaching-related tasks. Furthermore, among the duties of a Graduate Teaching Assistant may include handling written reports, preparing or cleaning laboratories and facilities, grading and evaluating students' papers, and preparing examinations or other quiz material.
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.
Graduate teaching assistants and graduate researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Teaching Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average salary | $44,994 | $32,346 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $74,000 | Between $15,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Terre Haute, IN | - |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | - |
| Best paying company | California State University, Fullerton | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a graduate teaching assistant and a graduate researcher in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Teaching Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between graduate teaching assistants' and graduate researchers' demographics:
| Graduate Teaching Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |