Research associate professor vs graduate research student

The differences between research associate professors and graduate research students can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research associate professor has an average salary of $94,301, which is higher than the $34,658 average annual salary of a graduate research student.

The top three skills for a research associate professor include public health, biomedical and research projects. The most important skills for a graduate research student are lab equipment, laboratory equipment, and python.

Research associate professor vs graduate research student overview

	Research Associate Professor	Graduate Research Student
Yearly salary	$94,301	$34,658
Hourly rate	$45.34	$16.66
Growth rate	12%	19%
Number of jobs	57,738	58,921
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	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 a graduate research student do?

Graduate research students are learners who conduct degree program-related research in a research unit or an academic department. These students manage themselves independently as well as their work. They make certain that they have familiarized the requirements of the university. Educators and other scholars expect them to develop enough research and skills. Their responsibilities include academic honesty, participation in supervisory meetings, and maintenance of effective supervisor communication. In terms of their research, they should have a research plan ahead.

Research associate professor vs graduate research student salary

Research associate professors and graduate research students have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Associate Professor	Graduate Research Student
Average salary	$94,301	$34,658
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $151,000	Between $19,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Salt Lake City, UT	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Utah	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Medical School	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between research associate professor and graduate research student education

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

	Research Associate Professor	Graduate Research Student
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Stanford University

Research associate professor vs graduate research student demographics

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

	Research Associate Professor	Graduate Research Student
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	16%	6%

Differences between research associate professor and graduate research student 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.

Graduate research student example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Conduct molecular and cellular biology research techniques including DNA, RNA and protein isolation and analysis
Assist in organic chemistry laboratory on synthesis of molecule that behaves as fluorescent switch with cation binding properties
Perform Parkinson's psychological test on undergraduate students at UCLA and analyze data using statistical analysis software SPSS.
Analyze data using SAS statistical software, and map populations using GIS.
Summarize statistics from SAS outputs for USDA research grant investigating WIC and food insecurity.

Research associate professor vs graduate research student skills

Common research associate professor skills

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

Common graduate research student skills

Lab Equipment, 11%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Python, 6%
C++, 5%
Chemistry, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Research Associate Professor
Research Associate Professor vs Graduate Research Student

Updated January 8, 2025

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