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The differences between research assistants and data analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a research assistant, becoming a data analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, 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 a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Research Assistant | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources. They are in charge of studying the available data, spotting trends, interpreting what the data and the trends mean, and recommending suggestions that will help the organization perform better. Their recommendations should also be relevant and backed up with strong analyses. Data analysts are expected to have a good grasp of the current market trends in the industry.
Research assistants and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and data analysts' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |