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The differences between research interns and research technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research technician has an average salary of $43,034, 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 technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Research Internship | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,573 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $19.03 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 95,123 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 37 | 40 |
| 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.
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 interns and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Internship | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,573 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $59,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a research internship and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Research Internship | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between research interns' and research technicians' demographics:
| Research Internship | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 37 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 6% |