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The differences between research fellows and research technicians 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 fellow and a research technician. Additionally, a research fellow has an average salary of $53,823, which is higher than the $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a research fellow include patients, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Research Fellow | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,823 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $25.88 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 59,746 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Research fellows and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Fellow | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,823 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a research fellow and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Research Fellow | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between research fellows' and research technicians' demographics:
| Research Fellow | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |