Neuroscientist vs laboratory research assistant

The differences between neuroscientists and laboratory 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 neuroscientist, becoming a laboratory research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a neuroscientist has an average salary of $76,267, which is higher than the $36,537 average annual salary of a laboratory research assistant.

The top three skills for a neuroscientist include literature reviews, animal models and experimental design. The most important skills for a laboratory research assistant are data collection, patients, and laboratory equipment.

Neuroscientist vs laboratory research assistant overview

	Neuroscientist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$76,267	$36,537
Hourly rate	$36.67	$17.57
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	23,046	87,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	41	38
Years of experience	4	2

Neuroscientist vs laboratory research assistant salary

Neuroscientists and laboratory research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Neuroscientist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average salary	$76,267	$36,537
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $133,000	Between $24,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Meta	New York University
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between neuroscientist and laboratory research assistant education

There are a few differences between a neuroscientist and a laboratory research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Neuroscientist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Harvard University

Neuroscientist vs laboratory research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between neuroscientists' and laboratory research assistants' demographics:

	Neuroscientist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average age	41	38
Gender ratio	Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 27.9% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between neuroscientist and laboratory research assistant duties and responsibilities

Neuroscientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.
Supervise activities of analytical cellular and molecular immunology laboratories.

Laboratory research assistant example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Maintain microbial culture and isolate and purify bacterial and viral DNA and RNA to study the genome of common pathogenic bacteria.
Perform protein extraction on larvae.
Perform biological assays, including ELISA and RT-PCR.
Gain extensive MLST, RT-PCR, conventional PCR, primer design and gel-electrophoresis experience.

Neuroscientist vs laboratory research assistant skills

Common neuroscientist skills

Literature Reviews, 43%
Animal Models, 28%
Experimental Design, 16%
R, 8%
Scientific Data, 4%

Common laboratory research assistant skills

Data Collection, 5%
Patients, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Lab Procedures, 5%
Laboratory Techniques, 5%
Molecular Biology, 4%

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Neuroscientist vs Laboratory Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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