Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between junior scientists and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a junior scientist, becoming a research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a junior scientist has an average salary of $63,169, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.
The top three skills for a junior scientist include lab equipment, literature and data analysis. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Junior Scientist | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $63,169 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $30.37 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 56,283 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A junior scientist is in charge of conducting research and scientific studies while under the supervision of a more experienced scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around gathering and preparing samples, performing experiments and analysis, coordinating with other experts, recording all progress, reviewing results, and summarizing findings into reports and presentations. In a company setting, a junior scientist must adhere to deadlines and budgets, submitting results to senior scientists and managers. Furthermore, it is essential to uphold the policies and regulations of laboratories to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.
Junior scientists and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Scientist | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $63,169 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $90,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The University of Chicago | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a junior scientist and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Junior Scientist | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between junior scientists' and research assistants' demographics:
| Junior Scientist | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |