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The differences between research associates and assistant professors 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 associate, becoming an assistant professor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant professor has an average salary of $87,099, which is higher than the $60,166 average annual salary of a research associate.
The top three skills for a research associate include patients, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for an assistant professor are patients, public health, and pediatrics.
| Research Associate | Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $60,166 | $87,099 |
| Hourly rate | $28.93 | $41.87 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 63,884 | 30,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 38 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A research associate is responsible for assisting the research team, organizing and interpreting findings, and verifying information before presenting the study to the board. Research associates duties also include gathering and comparing data from multiple sources, analyzing the current industry trends, creating draft outlines for reports, collecting individual contacts for interview purposes, and helping with the development of research procedures. A research associate must have excellent time-management skills and ability to multi-task, especially on meeting strict deadlines and conducting studies.
An assistant professor is an entry-level position who teaches in a university, conducts research, and assists senior professors. Assistant professors supervise undergraduate and graduate students at the same time provide professors and department heads with feedback on the progress of their students. To be effective in teaching and mentoring students, assistant professors must possess strong communication skills with advanced knowledge of their field. They must also have a Ph. D degree in the relevant academic discipline as well as teaching experience in a university setting.
Research associates and assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate | Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $60,166 | $87,099 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $87,000 | Between $50,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | UT Medical Group, Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a research associate and an assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate | Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between research associates' and assistant professors' demographics:
| Research Associate | Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 38 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.4% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 16% |