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The differences between research assistants and research assistant professors 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 research assistant professor. Additionally, a research assistant professor has an average salary of $73,455, 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 research assistant professor are research projects, biomedical, and research program.
| Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $73,455 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $35.31 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 62,395 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| 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 research assistant professor works part-time at colleges or universities where they focus on conducting research and extensive studies. They typically work under the supervision and directives of a professor and perform support tasks such as gathering and analyzing samples through different scientific procedures, completing interviews and surveys, performing experiments and assessments, maintaining records, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Additionally, a research assistant professor may also teach undergraduates and participate in preparing activities and curriculum materials.
Research assistants and research assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $73,455 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $52,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Stanford University |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a research assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Doctoral Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and research assistant professors' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Research Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% |
| 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, 15.1% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |