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The differences between research assistants and professional research assistants 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 a professional research assistant. Additionally, a professional research assistant has an average salary of $58,202, 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 professional research assistant are research projects, data collection, and patients.
| Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $58,202 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $27.98 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 91,813 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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.
A professional research assistant works under the supervision of primary researchers leading research projects. Research assistants help the main researchers in different tasks supporting research activities. These tasks vary based on research conducted and their field. The assistants prepare the interview questions and provide a results summary. They respond to emails, participate in project meetings, and prepare progress reports. Skills necessary for this job include communication skills, critical thinking, attention to detail, scheduling, and planning.
Research assistants and professional research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $58,202 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $38,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Siemens |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a professional research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and professional research assistants' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |