Junior research fellow vs graduate research student

The differences between junior research fellows and graduate research students can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a junior research fellow has an average salary of $64,677, which is higher than the $34,658 average annual salary of a graduate research student.

The top three skills for a junior research fellow include cell culture, R and molecular techniques. The most important skills for a graduate research student are lab equipment, laboratory equipment, and python.

Junior research fellow vs graduate research student overview

	Junior Research Fellow	Graduate Research Student
Yearly salary	$64,677	$34,658
Hourly rate	$31.09	$16.66
Growth rate	17%	19%
Number of jobs	61,504	58,921
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	-

Junior research fellow vs graduate research student salary

Junior research fellows and graduate research students have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Junior Research Fellow	Graduate Research Student
Average salary	$64,677	$34,658
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $90,000	Between $19,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Colfax Corporation	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between junior research fellow and graduate research student education

There are a few differences between a junior research fellow and a graduate research student in terms of educational background:

	Junior Research Fellow	Graduate Research Student
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Stanford University

Junior research fellow vs graduate research student demographics

Here are the differences between junior research fellows' and graduate research students' demographics:

	Junior Research Fellow	Graduate Research Student
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 37.3% White, 43.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between junior research fellow and graduate research student duties and responsibilities

Junior research fellow example responsibilities.

Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Work on synthesis of D-Serine from N-Acetyl-D-glucose using microorganisms, immobilize enzymes, and microbial cells in the key steps.
Estimate cytokines levels in human patient samples using ELISA methodology.
Assist in routine analysis using radio immuno assays such as ELISA.
Involve in the multi-step synthesis of bio-active natural products and also involve in the development of novel synthetic methodologies.
Construct a preliminary testing platform for a collaborative $3MM NSF grant between biology and electrical engineering exploring molecular communication theory.

Graduate research student example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Conduct molecular and cellular biology research techniques including DNA, RNA and protein isolation and analysis
Assist in organic chemistry laboratory on synthesis of molecule that behaves as fluorescent switch with cation binding properties
Perform Parkinson's psychological test on undergraduate students at UCLA and analyze data using statistical analysis software SPSS.
Analyze data using SAS statistical software, and map populations using GIS.
Summarize statistics from SAS outputs for USDA research grant investigating WIC and food insecurity.

Junior research fellow vs graduate research student skills

Common junior research fellow skills

Cell Culture, 8%
R, 7%
Molecular Techniques, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Research Projects, 5%

Common graduate research student skills

Lab Equipment, 11%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Python, 6%
C++, 5%
Chemistry, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Junior Research Fellow
Junior Research Fellow vs Graduate Research Student

Updated January 8, 2025

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