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The differences between research assistants and interns 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 internship. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $35,254 average annual salary of an internship.
The top three skills for a research assistant include patients, lab equipment and data collection. The most important skills for an internship are powerpoint, financial statements, and C++.
| Research Assistant | Internship | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $35,254 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $16.95 |
| Growth rate | 19% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 51,064 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| 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.
Interns are trainees who are engaged by a company to work for them for a brief period. Interns usually use this opportunity to gain actual work experience, fulfill university or college requirements, and ensure that they are working towards the right career path for them. They sign on for a fixed amount of time. The responsibilities of interns depend on the company and the department that handles them. They do a variety of tasks that exposes them to the type of work that the company is engaged in and to the different aspects of the professional world.
Research assistants and interns have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Internship | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $35,254 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Qorvo |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and an internship in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Internship | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and interns' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Internship | |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |