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The differences between psychology research assistants and research assistant professors 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 research assistant professor. Additionally, a research assistant professor has an average salary of $73,455, 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 research assistant professor are research projects, biomedical, and research program.
| Psychology Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $54,582 | $73,455 |
| Hourly rate | $26.24 | $35.31 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 48,891 | 62,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| 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.
A research assistant professor works part-time at colleges or universities where they focus on conducting research and extensive studies. They typically work under the supervision and directives of a professor and perform support tasks such as gathering and analyzing samples through different scientific procedures, completing interviews and surveys, performing experiments and assessments, maintaining records, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Additionally, a research assistant professor may also teach undergraduates and participate in preparing activities and curriculum materials.
Psychology research assistants and research assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychology Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $54,582 | $73,455 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $86,000 | Between $52,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | MassBay Community College | Stanford University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a psychology research assistant and a research assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Psychology Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between psychology research assistants' and research assistant professors' demographics:
| Psychology Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8% | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% |
| 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, 15.1% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |