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The differences between interns and researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an internship, becoming a researcher takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a researcher has an average salary of $67,145, which is higher than the $35,254 average annual salary of an internship.
The top three skills for an internship include powerpoint, financial statements and C++. The most important skills for a researcher are python, lab equipment, and C++.
| Internship | Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $35,254 | $67,145 |
| Hourly rate | $16.95 | $32.28 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,064 | 30,498 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Interns are trainees who are engaged by a company to work for them for a brief period. Interns usually use this opportunity to gain actual work experience, fulfill university or college requirements, and ensure that they are working towards the right career path for them. They sign on for a fixed amount of time. The responsibilities of interns depend on the company and the department that handles them. They do a variety of tasks that exposes them to the type of work that the company is engaged in and to the different aspects of the professional world.
A researcher is responsible for collating, organizing, and verifying necessary information for a specific subject. Researchers' duties include analyzing data, gathering and comparing resources, ensuring facts, sharing findings with the whole research team, adhering to required methodologies, performing fieldwork as needed, and keeping critical information confidential. Researchers must be knowledgeable about the current market trends and align findings with the research goals. A researcher must show strong communication skills, as well as strong attention to detail and time-management skills to meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Interns and researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Internship | Researcher | |
| Average salary | $35,254 | $67,145 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $49,000 | Between $37,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Qorvo | Renaissance Learning |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between an internship and a researcher in terms of educational background:
| Internship | Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between interns' and researchers' demographics:
| Internship | Researcher | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |