Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between professional research assistants and research fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a professional research assistant, becoming a research fellow takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a professional research assistant has an average salary of $58,202, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a professional research assistant include research projects, data collection and patients. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Professional Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $58,202 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $27.98 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 91,813 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A professional research assistant works under the supervision of primary researchers leading research projects. Research assistants help the main researchers in different tasks supporting research activities. These tasks vary based on research conducted and their field. The assistants prepare the interview questions and provide a results summary. They respond to emails, participate in project meetings, and prepare progress reports. Skills necessary for this job include communication skills, critical thinking, attention to detail, scheduling, and planning.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Professional research assistants and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $58,202 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $88,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Siemens | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a professional research assistant and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Professional Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between professional research assistants' and research fellows' demographics:
| Professional Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |