Health physicist vs laboratory research assistant

The differences between health physicists and laboratory research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a health physicist, becoming a laboratory research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a health physicist has an average salary of $74,942, which is higher than the $36,537 average annual salary of a laboratory research assistant.

The top three skills for a health physicist include radioactive materials, oversight and ALARA. The most important skills for a laboratory research assistant are data collection, patients, and laboratory equipment.

Health physicist vs laboratory research assistant overview

	Health Physicist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$74,942	$36,537
Hourly rate	$36.03	$17.57
Growth rate	8%	17%
Number of jobs	47,640	87,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	48	38
Years of experience	6	2

What does a health physicist do?

A health physicist investigates research principles by which radiation interacts with living systems and matter. Health physicists study environmental radioactivity levels. Part of their research is radiation's effects on biological systems in space and on earth. They ensure the proper functioning of the x-ray and the storage of radiation therapy. Part of their responsibility is to make sure that scientists are following regulations and safely using their radioactive materials. Also, they are advocates of human and environmental protection.

What does a laboratory research assistant do?

A laboratory research assistant is an individual who performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. Laboratory research assistants design and conduct experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. They must write detailed reports of their research and experiments and then deliver these reports in written and verbal forms. Laboratory research assistants may also work in different settings such as medical facilities and pharmaceutical companies.

Health physicist vs laboratory research assistant salary

Health physicists and laboratory research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Physicist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average salary	$74,942	$36,537
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $134,000	Between $24,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	UCI Health	New York University
Best paying industry	Energy	Education

Differences between health physicist and laboratory research assistant education

There are a few differences between a health physicist and a laboratory research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Health Physicist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Physics	Biology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Harvard University

Health physicist vs laboratory research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between health physicists' and laboratory research assistants' demographics:

	Health Physicist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average age	48	38
Gender ratio	Male, 76.9% Female, 23.1%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	24%	8%

Differences between health physicist and laboratory research assistant duties and responsibilities

Health physicist example responsibilities.

Manage the work and flow through the plant and department with regard to NDT.
Ensure local site regulatory compliance by providing RSO oversight.
Interpret and apply NRC and EPA regulations pertinent to each assignment.
Review verification data for compliance with EPA cleanup standards.
Perform all functions of outage health physics job coverage.
Monitor and assist RCA exit portal area as needed.

Laboratory research assistant example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Maintain microbial culture and isolate and purify bacterial and viral DNA and RNA to study the genome of common pathogenic bacteria.
Perform protein extraction on larvae.
Perform biological assays, including ELISA and RT-PCR.
Gain extensive MLST, RT-PCR, conventional PCR, primer design and gel-electrophoresis experience.

Health physicist vs laboratory research assistant skills

Common health physicist skills

Radioactive Materials, 9%
Oversight, 9%
ALARA, 7%
Radiation Safety, 7%
Emergency Response, 5%
NRC, 3%

Common laboratory research assistant skills

Data Collection, 5%
Patients, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Lab Procedures, 5%
Laboratory Techniques, 5%
Molecular Biology, 4%

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Health Physicist vs Laboratory Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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