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The differences between research assistants and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a research assistant and an assistant research scientist. Additionally, an assistant research scientist has an average salary of $62,780, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.
The top three skills for a research assistant include patients, lab equipment and data collection. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Research assistants and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |