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The differences between research and development technicians and biology laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research and development technician and a biology laboratory assistant. Additionally, a research and development technician has an average salary of $83,552, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a research and development technician include R, project management and product management. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.
| Research And Development Technician | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $83,552 | $34,240 |
| Hourly rate | $40.17 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 111,268 | 48,958 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A research and development technician specializes in performing mathematical and laboratory operations to support projects concerning products and development. Usually functioning as an assistant to a more experienced researcher, a research and development technician's responsibilities revolve around conducting analysis, building models and prototypes, producing reports, and performing various experiments. Furthermore, as a technician, it is crucial to coordinate with all team members, keeping an accurate record of all processes while adhering to the company's standards and regulations.
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Research and development technicians and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research And Development Technician | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $83,552 | $34,240 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $125,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a research and development technician and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Research And Development Technician | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research and development technicians' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Research And Development Technician | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 15.4% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |