The laboratory research assistant is responsible for performing research activities in a laboratory setting following set instructions. He performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. He conducts experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. Also, he writes detailed reports of their research and experiments and performs routine laboratory maintenance and research activities. Some of his 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.
Laboratory Research Assistant Overview
Laboratory Research Assistant Careers
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 $19.07 an hour? That's $39,670 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.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a laboratory research assistant, we found that a lot of resumes listed 11.9% of laboratory research assistants included laboratory equipment, while 10.5% of resumes included lab equipment, and 8.1% of resumes included research projects. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the laboratory research assistant job title. But what industry to start with? Most laboratory research assistants actually find jobs in the education and health care industries.
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 73.7% of laboratory research assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 10.5% of laboratory research assistants have master's degrees. Even though most laboratory research assistants have a college degree, it's possible 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.
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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.
Laboratory Research Assistant Jobs You Might Like
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Average Salary for a Laboratory Research Assistant
Best Paying Cities
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
University of Maryland, Baltimore Research Assistant, Laboratory Animal (Contractual) Research Assistant, Laboratory Animal (Contractual) | University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore | 06/22/2021 06/22/2021 | $42,00006/22/2021 $42,000 |
University of Wisconsin Madison Lab Technician DR. HAU LE Research Lab Lab Technician DR. HAU LE Research Lab | University of Wisconsin Madison University of Wisconsin Madison | 06/17/2021 06/17/2021 | $37,00006/17/2021 $37,000 |
University of Virginia Lab Manager and Research Assistant Lab Manager and Research Assistant | University of Virginia University of Virginia | 06/03/2021 06/03/2021 | $33,39206/03/2021 $33,392 |
University of Virginia Lab Manager and Research Assistant Lab Manager and Research Assistant | University of Virginia University of Virginia | 06/01/2021 06/01/2021 | $33,39206/01/2021 $33,392 |
University of Michigan Research Assistant I (Temp)-Baucom Lab Research Assistant I (Temp)-Baucom Lab | University of Michigan University of Michigan | 05/28/2021 05/28/2021 | $31,30505/28/2021 $31,305 |
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Laboratory Research Assistant Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Laboratory Research Assistant. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
10 Best Resume Templates In 2021
Learn How To Write a Laboratory Research Assistant Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Laboratory Research Assistant resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationTop 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
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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.
- Laboratory Equipment, 11.9%
- Lab Equipment, 10.5%
- Research Projects, 8.1%
- Cell Culture, 7.7%
- Data Collection, 5.4%
- Other Skills, 56.4% See All Laboratory Research Assistant Skills
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 New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Delaware. Laboratory research assistants make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $58,707. Whereas in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, they would average $52,398 and $52,144, respectively. While laboratory research assistants would only make an average of $52,138 in Delaware, 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
$52,398
Avg. Salary
2. New Jersey
$58,707
Avg. Salary
3. Rhode Island
$52,144
Avg. Salary
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