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The differences between research associate r & ds and research leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a research associate r & d and a research leader. Additionally, a research leader has an average salary of $107,345, which is higher than the $70,829 average annual salary of a research associate r & d.
The top three skills for a research associate r & d include cell culture, elisa and analyze data. The most important skills for a research leader are data collection, data analysis, and market research.
| Research Associate R & D | Research Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $70,829 | $107,345 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $51.61 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 57,142 | 77,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Research associates are employees who work in the company's research and development department. They are responsible for researching industry trends, product innovations, and even competitors' products. Research associates are usually fresh graduates or entry-level employees. They are exposed to the company's products and how each product came to be. They should be familiar with the company brand, as well as the company's vision and mission so that they are guided as they conduct research. Research associates research to further improve the current products and services of the company. They also help out in producing new products or innovating existing ones.
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 associate r & ds and research leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate R & D | Research Leader | |
| Average salary | $70,829 | $107,345 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $101,000 | Between $64,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a research associate r & d and a research leader in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate R & D | Research Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between research associate r & ds' and research leaders' demographics:
| Research Associate R & D | Research Leader | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 10% | 10% |