Program research specialist vs research manager

The differences between program research specialists and research managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a program research specialist and a research manager. Additionally, a research manager has an average salary of $82,894, which is higher than the $60,904 average annual salary of a program research specialist.

The top three skills for a program research specialist include data analysis, data collection and mathematics. The most important skills for a research manager are market research, analytics, and quantitative research.

Program research specialist vs research manager overview

	Program Research Specialist	Research Manager
Yearly salary	$60,904	$82,894
Hourly rate	$29.28	$39.85
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	115,466	48,867
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	6	6

What does a program research specialist do?

Program research specialists are professionals who are responsible for performing duties related to the business research program of an organization. These specialists must manage several major marketing research projects that aim to assess CRM solutions, marketing automation, and customer service processes. They must collect qualitative data and perform data analysis to create internal reports and provide recommendations to clients to improve services. Program research specialists must also use various software packages that can summarize and interpret statistical results.

What does a research manager do?

A Research Manager performs research, data collection, and economic, statistical, and demographic analysis. They also determine and implement research and development strategies, policies, and plans.

Program research specialist vs research manager salary

Program research specialists and research managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Research Specialist	Research Manager
Average salary	$60,904	$82,894
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $90,000	Between $51,000 And $133,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Washington
Best paying company	SAP	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between program research specialist and research manager education

There are a few differences between a program research specialist and a research manager in terms of educational background:

	Program Research Specialist	Research Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Georgia

Program research specialist vs research manager demographics

Here are the differences between program research specialists' and research managers' demographics:

	Program Research Specialist	Research Manager
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.1% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between program research specialist and research manager duties and responsibilities

Program research specialist example responsibilities.

Manage study documentation throughout study life cycle including IRB annual renewals, modifications, patient study charts and regulatory binder.
Used SAS to review further information for merging projects.
Time code numerous videos for postdoctoral research on developmental behavior and violence -convert subject data into statistical input using IBM SPSS.
Evaluate antibodies by sandwich ELISA to determine their ability to capture or detect proteins.
Modify ELISA and western-blotting protocols to investigate biotin-labele protein-DNA complexes.
Participate in and run biofeedback experiments in the field of psychophysiology.

Research manager example responsibilities.

Manage IRB submissions and complete all IRB requirements in conjunction with the HICCC s regulatory department.
Lead social path-to-purchase study, incorporating social media analytics into insight community to identify spectrum of social engagement among customers.
Conduct QA for time and testing of products.
Implement document data extraction through online web-base research and sources.
Direct analytical and logistician research teams to produce in-depth studies and analyses on logistics, maintenance and transportation issues.
Coordinate communications with the IRB, NIH and other institutional entities that fund, support, collaborate and regulate research.

Program research specialist vs research manager skills

Common program research specialist skills

Data Analysis, 14%
Data Collection, 10%
Mathematics, 10%
Public Health, 7%
Research Program, 6%
Research Studies, 5%

Common research manager skills

Market Research, 8%
Analytics, 6%
Quantitative Research, 6%
Data Analysis, 5%
Patients, 5%
Data Collection, 4%

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Program Research Specialist
Program Research Specialist vs Research Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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