The laboratory research assistant is responsible for performing research activities in a laboratory setting following set instructions. He/She performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. He/She conducts experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. Also, he/she writes detailed reports of their research and experiments and performs routine laboratory maintenance and research activities. Some of his/her other duties include general housekeeping, ELISA assays, preparing solutions, cell cultures, genotyping, ordering, record keeping, and inventory update.
Employers seek applicants with at least a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or a related discipline and must have prior experience in a similar role. You may be required to have training related to occupational safety and health, environmental compliance, shipping of hazardous materials, or ionizing radiation. Laboratory research assistants make an average salary of $39,670 per year, which is $19.07 per hour. This varies between $30,000 and $52,000.
How to Become a Laboratory Research Assistant
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a laboratory research assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.86 an hour? That's $39,238 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 10,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Laboratory Research Assistant Do
There are certain skills that many laboratory research assistants have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed observation skills, communication skills and detail oriented.
How To Become a Laboratory Research Assistant
If you're interested in becoming a laboratory research assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 78.0% of laboratory research assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.1% of laboratory research assistants have master's degrees. Even though most laboratory research assistants have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a laboratory research assistant. When we researched the most common majors for a laboratory research assistant, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on laboratory research assistant resumes include associate degree degrees or doctoral degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a laboratory research assistant. In fact, many laboratory research assistant jobs require experience in a role such as research assistant. Meanwhile, many laboratory research assistants also have previous career experience in roles such as internship or volunteer.
Laboratory Research Assistant Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a laboratory research assistant can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as laboratory technician, progress to a title such as chemist and then eventually end up with the title senior scientist.
Average Salary for a Laboratory Research Assistant
What Am I Worth?
Top Colleges for Laboratory Research Assistants
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Top Skills For a Laboratory Research Assistant
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.9% of laboratory research assistants listed laboratory equipment on their resume, but soft skills such as observation skills and communication skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Laboratory Research Assistant Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Laboratory Research Assistant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Laboratory Research Assistant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Laboratory Research Assistant Demographics
Laboratory Research Assistant Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among laboratory research assistants, 53.8% of them are women, while 46.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among laboratory research assistants is White, which makes up 59.4% of all laboratory research assistants.
- The most common foreign language among laboratory research assistants is Spanish at 42.4%.
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Best States For a Laboratory Research Assistant
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a laboratory research assistant. The best states for people in this position are Massachusetts, Alaska, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Laboratory research assistants make the most in Massachusetts with an average salary of $55,035. Whereas in Alaska and New Jersey, they would average $50,784 and $50,742, respectively. While laboratory research assistants would only make an average of $50,401 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Massachusetts
$55,035
Avg. Salary
2. New Jersey
$50,742
Avg. Salary
3. Alaska
$50,784
Avg. Salary
How Do Laboratory Research Assistant Rate Their Jobs?
Top Laboratory Research Assistant Employers
Most Common Employers For Laboratory Research Assistant
| Rank  | Company  | Average Salary  | Hourly Rate  | Job Openings  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $57,963 | $27.87 | 37 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin System | $53,031 | $25.50 | 45 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $49,758 | $23.92 | 37 |
| 4 | Cornell University | $47,456 | $22.82 | 46 |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University | $47,361 | $22.77 | 37 |
| 6 | University of Minnesota | $46,370 | $22.29 | 35 |
| 7 | Michigan State University | $42,893 | $20.62 | 70 |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania | $42,335 | $20.35 | 39 |
| 9 | The Ohio State University | $42,070 | $20.23 | 36 |
| 10 | University of North Carolina | $41,867 | $20.13 | 48 |
Laboratory Research Assistant Videos
Becoming a Laboratory Research Assistant FAQs
How long does it take to be a laboratory assistant?
It takes between one to four years to become a laboratory assistant. Lab assistants are typically only required to hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED.
While a person can become a laboratory assistant with only their high school diploma, it is good to pursue additional education. The quickest way is to complete a vocational school program. Some vocational schools offer laboratory assistant training programs to give candidates the information to succeed in the role.
How much do laboratory assistants make?
Laboratory assistants make about $33,000 a year. This average salary ranges between $27,000 and $39,000 in a year, mainly on experience and education levels.
While laboratory assistants are typically only required to hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, they will earn more if they have completed some additional education. This achievement can be through a year vocational school program or a traditional associate's or bachelor's degree program.
What qualifications do you need to be a research assistant?
The qualifications you need to be a research assistant are a bachelor's degree (or in the process of earning one) and a keen interest in the research process.
The duties of a research assistant can vary throughout the life of a research project. In the early stages, you may be required to look for grants or funding opportunities. Many research projects cannot be undertaken without funding from an overseeing body such as a government department, research council, or private company.
Research assistants can be asked to prepare supporting material and help develop a proposal to secure funding.
Research assistants may also be responsible for planning the research project, coordinating tasks, preparing surveys, scheduling interviews, and identifying statistical models and analysis techniques to use.
In the middle stages of the project, research assistants may collect, analyze and interpret data. To do this, they will use data analysis techniques and use graphs, tables, and charts to present key findings.
Finally, towards the end of the project, they may need to prepare a written discussion of the findings and help produce reports or articles. The research team may need to present the outcome of the research project at a conference to the funding agency or any other interested parties.
Research assistants commonly help prepare material such as presentation slides and posters for these conferences. Also, they help in carrying out the following;
Carrying out experiments and research in alignment with protocols set by senior team members.
Collecting and recording data.
Conducting analyses of datasets.
Preparing models to display results.
Reviewing academic literature.
Creating presentations based on key results.
Fact-checking, editing, and proofreading research documents for accuracy and consistency.
Maintaining laboratory equipment and inventory.
Recruiting study participants.
What skills do you need to be a lab assistant?
The skills needed to be a lab assistant include the right combination of technical skills related to data collection and analysis and soft skills such as communication and attention to detail.