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The differences between research assistant professors 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 professor, becoming a research fellow takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research assistant professor has an average salary of $73,455, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a research assistant professor include research projects, biomedical and research program. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $73,455 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $35.31 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 62,395 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
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 assistant professors and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $73,455 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $102,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Stanford University | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a research assistant professor and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research assistant professors' and research fellows' demographics:
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |