Research associate professor vs assistant professor

The differences between research associate professors and assistant professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research associate professor and an assistant professor. Additionally, a research associate professor has an average salary of $94,301, which is higher than the $87,099 average annual salary of an assistant professor.

The top three skills for a research associate professor include public health, biomedical and research projects. The most important skills for an assistant professor are patients, public health, and pediatrics.

Research associate professor vs assistant professor overview

	Research Associate Professor	Assistant Professor
Yearly salary	$94,301	$87,099
Hourly rate	$45.34	$41.87
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	57,738	30,531
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a research associate professor do?

The work of a research associate professor is conducting research, publishing papers, and attending conferences. The professor is also tasked with the job of attending academic events and networking with other researchers and field experts, as well as supervising, advising, and mentoring teaching assistants and graduate students.

What does an assistant professor do?

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 associate professor vs assistant professor salary

Research associate professors and assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Associate Professor	Assistant Professor
Average salary	$94,301	$87,099
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $151,000	Between $50,000 And $151,000
Highest paying City	Salt Lake City, UT	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Utah	Hawaii
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Medical School	UT Medical Group, Inc.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between research associate professor and assistant professor education

There are a few differences between a research associate professor and an assistant professor in terms of educational background:

	Research Associate Professor	Assistant Professor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Chemistry	Nursing
Most common college	Cornell University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research associate professor vs assistant professor demographics

Here are the differences between research associate professors' and assistant professors' demographics:

	Research Associate Professor	Assistant Professor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%	Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.6% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	16%	16%

Differences between research associate professor and assistant professor duties and responsibilities

Research associate professor example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Conduct NIH sponsor studies on HIV/AIDS in African-American and Hispanic populations in Alabama.
Train students in electron microscopy, laser safety, vacuum technology, chemistry, instrumentation, and other laboratory procedures.
Identify glucose-induced increases in the phosphorylation levels of interest proteins, including metabolic enzymes and transcription factors by analyzing phosphoproteomics data.

Assistant professor example responsibilities.

Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
Develop courses in immunology and research ethics, and develop super laboratory courses in cellular physiology and molecular biology.
Conduct research using molecular biology, genetics, histochemistry, cell biology, biochemistry.
Chair psychology and sociology departments, teach psychology classes, revise student practicum program, establish outreach mechanisms to reach alternative students
Serve as professor for humanities and sociology.

Research associate professor vs assistant professor skills

Common research associate professor skills

Public Health, 15%
Biomedical, 12%
Research Projects, 11%
SAS, 6%
NIH, 6%
Data Collection, 6%

Common assistant professor skills

Patients, 17%
Public Health, 6%
Pediatrics, 5%
Curriculum Development, 4%
Research Projects, 4%
Professional Development, 4%

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Research Associate Professor
Research Associate Professor vs Assistant Professor

Updated January 8, 2025

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