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The differences between research interns and research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a research internship, becoming a research scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $39,573 average annual salary of a research internship.
The top three skills for a research internship include python, C++ and research intern. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Research Internship | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,573 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $19.03 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 95,123 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A research intern is responsible for assisting the research team with conducting an investigation, compiling information, and analyzing results for an organized research study. Research interns' duties also include understanding the work processes and operation procedures, sharing strategies and recommendations on research methods, reaching out to appropriate research correspondents, managing clients' inquiries and concerns, keeping important client records for reference, studying current market trends, and maintaining the eagerness to learn. A research intern must have strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills to perform on daily research tasks.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Research interns and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Internship | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $39,573 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $59,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a research internship and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Internship | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research interns' and research scientists' demographics:
| Research Internship | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |