Psychology research assistant vs volunteer research assistant

The differences between psychology research assistants and volunteer 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 volunteer research assistant. Additionally, a psychology research assistant has an average salary of $54,582, which is higher than the $52,906 average annual salary of a volunteer research assistant.

The top three skills for a psychology research assistant include data collection, SPSS and research projects. The most important skills for a volunteer research assistant are lab equipment, DR, and literature reviews.

Psychology research assistant vs volunteer research assistant overview

	Psychology Research Assistant	Volunteer Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$54,582	$52,906
Hourly rate	$26.24	$25.44
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	48,891	50,983
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Psychology research assistant vs volunteer research assistant salary

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

	Psychology Research Assistant	Volunteer Research Assistant
Average salary	$54,582	$52,906
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $86,000	Between $34,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	Piscataway, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	MassBay Community College	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between psychology research assistant and volunteer research assistant education

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

	Psychology Research Assistant	Volunteer Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Psychology research assistant vs volunteer research assistant demographics

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

	Psychology Research Assistant	Volunteer Research Assistant
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 16.4% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between psychology research assistant and volunteer 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.

Volunteer research assistant example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Compile subject questionnaires using SPSS data analysis software.
Perform DNA extraction and estimation.
Analyze isolated purity of RNA samples with Nanodrop machine.
Assist in procedures when need, such as isolating DNA.
Perform tissue homogenization, RNA isolation, and Qiagen RNA easy clean up.

Psychology research assistant vs volunteer 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 volunteer research assistant skills

Lab Equipment, 14%
DR, 12%
Literature Reviews, 7%
Data Collection, 6%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Projects, 5%

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Psychology Research Assistant
Psychology Research Assistant vs Volunteer Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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