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The differences between psychology research assistants and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a psychology research assistant and an assistant research scientist. Additionally, an assistant research scientist has an average salary of $62,780, which is higher than the $54,582 average annual salary of a psychology research assistant.
The top three skills for a psychology research assistant include data collection, SPSS and research projects. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Psychology Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,582 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $26.24 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 48,891 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Psychologists are responsible for studying cognitive and social processes through observation and therapy. They typically focus on understanding and articulating the emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of their clients. Their typical day-to-day duties may include researching clients' behavior and brain functionality, identifying emotional and behavioral patterns of their clients, and diagnosing and treating emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders. Other duties include developing programs to address psychological issues and collaborating with other health care professionals or social workers in treating patients.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Psychology research assistants and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychology Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $54,582 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $86,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | MassBay Community College | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a psychology research assistant and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Psychology Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between psychology research assistants' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Psychology Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |