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The differences between research assistant professors and research scientists 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 scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $73,455 average annual salary of a research assistant professor.
The top three skills for a research assistant professor include research projects, biomedical and research program. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $73,455 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $35.31 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 62,395 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Research assistant professors and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $73,455 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $102,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Stanford University | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a research assistant professor and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research assistant professors' and research scientists' demographics:
| Research Assistant Professor | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.9% Female, 37.1% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |