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The differences between research associates and senior 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 associate, becoming a senior research fellow takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior research fellow has an average salary of $62,129, 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 senior research fellow are python, research projects, and data analysis.
| Research Associate | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $60,166 | $62,129 |
| Hourly rate | $28.93 | $29.87 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 63,884 | 53,535 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
Senior Research Fellows are reputable researchers employed in an academic institution or a research facility. The nature of their employment in the institution is related to their research work or field of interest. Senior Research Fellows lead a team of researchers on big projects that require more team members. They manage the team's budget, set timelines, and guide the researchers. They spearhead the analysis of the data gathered. They also set the tone for the presentation materials. Senior Research Fellows should be passionate about their field, should have a thirst for knowledge, and should be able to lead teams.
Research associates and senior research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $60,166 | $62,129 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $87,000 | Between $40,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a research associate and a senior research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research associates' and senior research fellows' demographics:
| Research Associate | Senior Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 56.1% Female, 43.9% |
| 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, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |