Junior research fellow vs research laboratory technician

The differences between junior research fellows and research laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a junior research fellow and a research laboratory technician. Additionally, a junior research fellow has an average salary of $64,677, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a junior research fellow include cell culture, R and molecular techniques. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Junior research fellow vs research laboratory technician overview

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$64,677	$38,308
Hourly rate	$31.09	$18.42
Growth rate	17%	9%
Number of jobs	61,504	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	41	40
Years of experience	4	4

Junior research fellow vs research laboratory technician salary

Junior research fellows and research laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$64,677	$38,308
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $90,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Illinois
Best paying company	Colfax Corporation	Accenture
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between junior research fellow and research laboratory technician education

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

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Cornell University

Junior research fellow vs research laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between junior research fellows' and research laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Junior Research Fellow	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	41	40
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between junior research fellow and research laboratory technician 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.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Junior research fellow vs research laboratory technician skills

Common junior research fellow skills

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

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Junior Research Fellow
Junior Research Fellow vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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