Public health microbiologist vs laboratory research assistant

The differences between public health microbiologists and laboratory 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 public health microbiologist and a laboratory research assistant. Additionally, a public health microbiologist has an average salary of $64,113, which is higher than the $36,537 average annual salary of a laboratory research assistant.

The top three skills for a public health microbiologist include extraction, quality control procedures and body fluids. The most important skills for a laboratory research assistant are data collection, patients, and laboratory equipment.

Public health microbiologist vs laboratory research assistant overview

	Public Health Microbiologist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$64,113	$36,537
Hourly rate	$30.82	$17.57
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	65,489	87,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	40	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a public health microbiologist do?

Public health administrators are like health administrators, except that their focus is on population health. When working at an office, outreach is a critical part of their work. They will need to interface with the community they serve. They travel outside of the office for fundraising, public speaking, and public engagement on a regular basis. Their responsibilities include developing community programs that improve public health, assessing community health issues, and creating budgets related to public health operations.

What does a laboratory research assistant do?

A laboratory research assistant is an individual who performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. Laboratory research assistants design and conduct experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. They must write detailed reports of their research and experiments and then deliver these reports in written and verbal forms. Laboratory research assistants may also work in different settings such as medical facilities and pharmaceutical companies.

Public health microbiologist vs laboratory research assistant salary

Public health microbiologists and laboratory research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Health Microbiologist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average salary	$64,113	$36,537
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $90,000	Between $24,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	New York University
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between public health microbiologist and laboratory research assistant education

There are a few differences between a public health microbiologist and a laboratory research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Public Health Microbiologist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Microbiology	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	Harvard University

Public health microbiologist vs laboratory research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between public health microbiologists' and laboratory research assistants' demographics:

	Public Health Microbiologist	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average age	40	38
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between public health microbiologist and laboratory research assistant duties and responsibilities

Public health microbiologist example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Extract DNA from patient samples using complex laboratory equipment.
Perform high-complexity public health testing including ELISA, PCR, DFA/IFA, viral and bacterial cultures, serologies and drug susceptibilities.
Secure database entry within FDA compliance regulations and laboratory notebook entries.
Conduct biochemical assays including biochemical identification of microorganisms.
Conduct biochemical assays including biochemical identification of microorganisms.

Laboratory research assistant example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Maintain microbial culture and isolate and purify bacterial and viral DNA and RNA to study the genome of common pathogenic bacteria.
Perform protein extraction on larvae.
Perform biological assays, including ELISA and RT-PCR.
Gain extensive MLST, RT-PCR, conventional PCR, primer design and gel-electrophoresis experience.

Public health microbiologist vs laboratory research assistant skills

Common public health microbiologist skills

Extraction, 17%
Quality Control Procedures, 16%
Body Fluids, 10%
Pathogens, 9%
Proficiency Testing, 6%
DNA, 6%

Common laboratory research assistant skills

Data Collection, 5%
Patients, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Lab Procedures, 5%
Laboratory Techniques, 5%
Molecular Biology, 4%

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Public Health Microbiologist
Public Health Microbiologist vs Laboratory Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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