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The differences between research associates and researchers 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 researcher takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a researcher has an average salary of $67,145, 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 researcher are python, lab equipment, and C++.
| Research Associate | Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $60,166 | $67,145 |
| Hourly rate | $28.93 | $32.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 63,884 | 30,498 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| 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.
A researcher is responsible for collating, organizing, and verifying necessary information for a specific subject. Researchers' duties include analyzing data, gathering and comparing resources, ensuring facts, sharing findings with the whole research team, adhering to required methodologies, performing fieldwork as needed, and keeping critical information confidential. Researchers must be knowledgeable about the current market trends and align findings with the research goals. A researcher must show strong communication skills, as well as strong attention to detail and time-management skills to meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Research associates and researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate | Researcher | |
| Average salary | $60,166 | $67,145 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $87,000 | Between $37,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Renaissance Learning |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a research associate and a researcher in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate | Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research associates' and researchers' demographics:
| Research Associate | Researcher | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |