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The differences between research assistants and research fellows 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 research fellow takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research fellow has an average salary of $53,823, 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 fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| 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.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Research assistants and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and research fellows' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |