Laboratory internship vs graduate research student

The differences between laboratory interns and graduate research students can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a laboratory internship has an average salary of $35,305, which is higher than the $34,658 average annual salary of a graduate research student.

The top three skills for a laboratory internship include lab procedures, chemistry and python. The most important skills for a graduate research student are lab equipment, laboratory equipment, and python.

Laboratory internship vs graduate research student overview

	Laboratory Internship	Graduate Research Student
Yearly salary	$35,305	$34,658
Hourly rate	$16.97	$16.66
Growth rate	9%	19%
Number of jobs	90,970	58,921
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	-

What does a laboratory internship do?

A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results. They must have excellent knowledge of scientific procedures, demonstrating their class learnings to practical applications. A laboratory intern must be detail-oriented, especially on conducting and verifying the accuracy of research materials. It is also required for a laboratory intern to be a fast-learner, understanding the scientific complexities to master various approaches.

What does a graduate research student do?

Graduate research students are learners who conduct degree program-related research in a research unit or an academic department. These students manage themselves independently as well as their work. They make certain that they have familiarized the requirements of the university. Educators and other scholars expect them to develop enough research and skills. Their responsibilities include academic honesty, participation in supervisory meetings, and maintenance of effective supervisor communication. In terms of their research, they should have a research plan ahead.

Laboratory internship vs graduate research student salary

Laboratory interns and graduate research students have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Internship	Graduate Research Student
Average salary	$35,305	$34,658
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $48,000	Between $19,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between laboratory internship and graduate research student education

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

	Laboratory Internship	Graduate Research Student
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Stanford University

Laboratory internship vs graduate research student demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory interns' and graduate research students' demographics:

	Laboratory Internship	Graduate Research Student
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 18.2% White, 49.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	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	6%	6%

Differences between laboratory internship and graduate research student duties and responsibilities

Laboratory internship example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Perform various laboratory experiments with instructor including DNA electrophoresis, forensic studies, and DNA extraction.
Process postmortem tissue for sectioning.
Help the students learn about the basics of biology, including cells to ecology.
Mix reagents in order to create fruit fly food through the use of autoclaves.
Perform experiments concern with the synthesis of polyurethane base polymer surface modifiers (PSMs).

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.

Laboratory internship vs graduate research student skills

Common laboratory internship skills

Lab Procedures, 11%
Chemistry, 10%
Python, 10%
C++, 6%
Laboratory Procedures, 6%
Laboratory Equipment, 4%

Common graduate research student skills

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

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Laboratory Internship
Laboratory Internship vs Graduate Research Student

Updated January 8, 2025

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