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The differences between research associates and research leaders 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 a research leader takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research leader has an average salary of $107,345, 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 a research leader are data collection, data analysis, and market research.
| Research Associate | Research Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $60,166 | $107,345 |
| Hourly rate | $28.93 | $51.61 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 63,884 | 77,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
Research Leaders are academicians who oversee a group of researchers conducting a study. They are usually well-known researchers in their field of study or area of interest. They manage the group throughout the whole research process. They may orient them at the start of the engagement to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Research Leaders direct the group in identifying the resources needed, finding these resources, and eventually managing them. They also guide the team in conducting the research properly by providing strategic direction, sharing techniques, and helping them analyze the gathered data. With their experience in the field, Research Leaders usually provide frameworks that the team may work within.
Research associates and research leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate | Research Leader | |
| Average salary | $60,166 | $107,345 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $87,000 | Between $64,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a research associate and a research leader in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate | Research Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between research associates' and research leaders' demographics:
| Research Associate | Research Leader | |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |