Program research specialist vs research specialist

The differences between program research specialists and research specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a program research specialist has an average salary of $60,904, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a 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 specialist are data collection, patients, and research projects.

Program research specialist vs research specialist overview

	Program Research Specialist	Research Specialist
Yearly salary	$60,904	$52,662
Hourly rate	$29.28	$25.32
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	115,466	79,341
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
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 specialist do?

In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.

Program research specialist vs research specialist salary

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

	Program Research Specialist	Research Specialist
Average salary	$60,904	$52,662
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $90,000	Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Washington
Best paying company	SAP	Novartis
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between program research specialist and research specialist education

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

	Program Research Specialist	Research Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Georgia

Program research specialist vs research specialist demographics

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

	Program Research Specialist	Research Specialist
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between program research specialist and research specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Manage both GLP and non-GLP studies that are contracted to CROs.
Create weekly presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and manage monthly board meetings.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Assist in surgical procedures on both rabbits and rats to obtain tissue specimens for RNA isolation for subsequent RT-PCR
Perform and supervise applied bench scale and pilot scale process research on extraction, distillation, and reaction processes.
Perform the timely and accurate execution of CESG protocols, procedures and results within the cloning and crystallography teams.

Program research specialist vs research specialist 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 specialist skills

Data Collection, 7%
Patients, 7%
Research Projects, 7%
Data Analysis, 5%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Cell Culture, 4%

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Program Research Specialist
Program Research Specialist vs Research Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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