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The differences between research assistants and student 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 student research assistant. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a research assistant include patients, lab equipment and data collection. The most important skills for a student research assistant are lab equipment, student research, and data collection.
| Research Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $27,475 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $13.21 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 51,080 | 59,758 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 student research assistant is responsible for supporting the school's research department on conducting various research tasks using the techniques and resources provided by the supervising faculty. Student research assistants collect and verify research data, interpret and document findings using research methodologies, organize and prepare research materials, write research reports, and provide recommendations to improve research strategies and techniques. A student research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask and be a fast-learner to interpret data within a specific time.
Research assistants and student research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $27,475 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $64,000 | Between $19,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a research assistant and a student research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research assistants' and student research assistants' demographics:
| Research Assistant | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |