Psychology research assistant vs doctoral research assistant

The differences between psychology research assistants and doctoral research assistants 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 a doctoral research assistant. Additionally, a doctoral research assistant has an average salary of $56,458, 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 a doctoral research assistant are data collection, research projects, and PI.

Psychology research assistant vs doctoral research assistant overview

	Psychology Research Assistant	Doctoral Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$54,582	$56,458
Hourly rate	$26.24	$27.14
Growth rate	19%	17%
Number of jobs	48,891	53,091
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Psychology research assistant vs doctoral research assistant salary

Psychology research assistants and doctoral research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Psychology Research Assistant	Doctoral Research Assistant
Average salary	$54,582	$56,458
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $86,000	Between $41,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Piscataway, NJ	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	MassBay Community College	Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between psychology research assistant and doctoral research assistant education

There are a few differences between a psychology research assistant and a doctoral research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Psychology Research Assistant	Doctoral Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Chemistry
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Psychology research assistant vs doctoral research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between psychology research assistants' and doctoral research assistants' demographics:

	Psychology Research Assistant	Doctoral Research Assistant
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9%
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, 16.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between psychology research assistant and doctoral research assistant duties and responsibilities

Psychology research assistant example responsibilities.

Accomplish electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, and behavioral testing on research participants.
Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Design computer-based surveys, perform data collection and analysis using SQL and STATA.
Conduct psychological research on the correlation between humility and romantic relationships before and after having children using survey methods and SPSS.
Train researchers in using SAS programs for processing and analyzing data.
Implement a web-crawler to track ideas spread across the Internet using search APIs.

Doctoral research assistant example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Receive additional training in SAS.
Used electronic and structure evaluations using quantum chemistry packages such as GAUSSIAN.
Prepare and implement unique proposals for the synthesis of polymer and small molecule targets.
Discover novel mechanical functions for collagen and short DNA molecules in response to force.
Develop the use of FPLC for detection and characterization of large DNA structural motifs.

Psychology research assistant vs doctoral research assistant skills

Common psychology research assistant skills

Data Collection, 11%
SPSS, 9%
Research Projects, 7%
Data Analysis, 6%
Psychology Lab, 5%
Literature Reviews, 5%

Common doctoral research assistant skills

Data Collection, 12%
Research Projects, 11%
PI, 9%
Data Analysis, 6%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Psychology Research Assistant
Psychology Research Assistant vs Doctoral Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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