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The differences between research assistants and graduate researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.
The top three skills for a research assistant include patients, lab equipment and data collection. The most important skills for a graduate researcher are R, cell culture, and research projects.
| Research Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $32,346 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $15.55 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 17,313 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 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.
A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor. In some cases, graduate researchers also conduct field investigations and analyze other research publications to verify data accuracy. They prepare reports, share recommendations, and keep an organized database for research records. A graduate researcher must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as this task requires interaction with the researchers and writing duties.
Research assistants and graduate researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $32,346 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $15,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a graduate researcher in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and graduate researchers' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |