Research assistant, chemistry department vs research volunteer

The differences between research assistants, chemistry department and research volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a research assistant, chemistry department, becoming a research volunteer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a research assistant, chemistry department has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $54,668 average annual salary of a research volunteer.

The top three skills for a research assistant, chemistry department include NMR, SEM and laboratory equipment. The most important skills for a research volunteer are lab procedures, cell culture, and laboratory techniques.

Research assistant, chemistry department vs research volunteer overview

	Research Assistant, Chemistry Department	Research Volunteer
Yearly salary	$64,402	$54,668
Hourly rate	$30.96	$26.28
Growth rate	9%	19%
Number of jobs	74,916	50,334
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	40	38
Years of experience	4	2

Research assistant, chemistry department vs research volunteer salary

Research assistants, chemistry department and research volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Assistant, Chemistry Department	Research Volunteer
Average salary	$64,402	$54,668
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $91,000	Between $34,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between research assistant, chemistry department and research volunteer education

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

	Research Assistant, Chemistry Department	Research Volunteer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Harvard University

Research assistant, chemistry department vs research volunteer demographics

Here are the differences between research assistants, chemistry department' and research volunteers' demographics:

	Research Assistant, Chemistry Department	Research Volunteer
Average age	40	38
Gender ratio	Male, 55.4% Female, 44.6%	Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 19.0% White, 49.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between research assistant, chemistry department and research volunteer duties and responsibilities

Research assistant, chemistry department example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Work with familiarization level proficiency in the use of spectroscopy, electrophoresis and other quantitative analytical techniques.
Synthesize a single strand DNA sensor.
Research relate to gas absorption with hydrogen fuel cell applications.
Prepare numerous chemical solution samples for analysis and various buffers used for CE and HPLC analysis.
Develop HPLC methods and analyze organic compounds.

Research volunteer example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Assist in monitoring MRI scans.
Assist in cloning and expression for RNA research.
Analyze cell lysates and purify proteins by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.
Design a PowerPoint presentation to teach senior adults about email accounts.
Assist with laboratory experiments, collect data and DNA samples, contribute to lab protocols.

Research assistant, chemistry department vs research volunteer skills

Common research assistant, chemistry department skills

NMR, 13%
SEM, 9%
Laboratory Equipment, 8%
DR, 7%
Nmr Spectroscopy, 6%
Organic Synthesis, 5%

Common research volunteer skills

Lab Procedures, 11%
Cell Culture, 8%
Laboratory Techniques, 7%
Data Collection, 6%
R, 4%
RT-PCR, 4%

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Research Assistant, Chemistry Department
Research Assistant, Chemistry Department vs Research Volunteer

Updated January 8, 2025

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